tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76828119443312371402024-03-04T20:42:23.135-08:00All Things MagruderTroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-20265158011541594892022-03-02T11:17:00.001-08:002022-03-02T11:22:58.096-08:00Do It Yourself Fundraising for Camp Magruder<p>If you're on facebook or other major social media app, you have no doubt seen people raising money on their birthdays and other special occasions for non-profit causes. You may have wondered if you could do something like for Camp Magruder. Well, we're glad you asked. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPZwKGhHKOYfW-5FXCCnGWIP0gFt2OajdjhZFUwtRQpYWmp6Bfq--N_NCNT9YC4U_VBzd1l6a4nLAEvDJb0czVqRvph7ZWrd2GYW7Bkcez4WWvlDsAQzaS9xxeNOqthwxFokaz_esqU8JxR40LnubMGJ_BRc4qM9w2Z_gkJp8tT2dV60VZXSB3GoYb=s1280" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPZwKGhHKOYfW-5FXCCnGWIP0gFt2OajdjhZFUwtRQpYWmp6Bfq--N_NCNT9YC4U_VBzd1l6a4nLAEvDJb0czVqRvph7ZWrd2GYW7Bkcez4WWvlDsAQzaS9xxeNOqthwxFokaz_esqU8JxR40LnubMGJ_BRc4qM9w2Z_gkJp8tT2dV60VZXSB3GoYb=s320" width="320" /></a></div>We have put together a guide to simplify the process of doing your own fundraising campaign for Camp Magruder. You can decide how much you want to raise, how long you try to raise the money, and who will see it. Anything you raise will get us closer to our overall fundraising goal, and it can be as simple as sharing several posts on social media. <p></p><p>The project we've highlighted for Spring 2022 is our efforts to raise the pay scale for our Resident Counselors. These donations will better equip us to improve our pay rate to these counselors who do such incredible work throughout the summer. </p><p>To create your sharable campaign, you'll start a profile on with our fundraising platform Fundrazr. You'll get connected with our <i>Growing Our Summer Counselor Wages </i>campaign. Here's more info:</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Setting up Your Fundraising Page</span></b></h2>1. Click "<a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#">Start Fundraising</a>" and create your account and fundraising page.<br /><br />2. Choose to join an existing team or create your own page for your activity (You and your friends could make a team and have some friendly competition).<br /><br />3. Log in to your account or create one.<br /><br />4. Add photos, videos, and your personalized story to your page. Delete the default text and add your own to make it yours!<br /><br />6. Share your link with family and friends on your active social media accounts and start fundraising!<br /><br />7. Check back in and share multiple times, updating followers on your progress, thanking those who already donated. <br /><br />8. Celebrate your success when you finish!<div><div class="separator"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCCNZcHyVkM_5Ku-nPU42roklYeDOKJMxZGX5DGGH4sqQ64rGIEQhSxPg9hMdrseihQO5424Jc0ddjsXeJVoqxXkv4PK64T5KU4WBwJxMdzkSUpiDDA_kv357ZrLbt0EEiiqnRGAiXZLrJiODJlOKIEXRVIEXnxfXusNV6KxydYXuKnwxhP1W0DHZw=s320" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Ideas for Your Story</span></b></h2>Tell a camp memory that changed your life?<br /><br />What is your fundraising goal?<br /><br />Why are you focusing on this cause?<br /><br />Why are Oregon-Idaho camp counselors important to you?<br /><br /><br />If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Troy Taylor at troy@campmagruder.org<a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#">. </a></div>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-20435120238177417252022-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:002022-02-07T10:33:08.951-08:00Get Away, Do Some Good Work, Bring Some People<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVml3IHX3OJLZvNE7nFdASkyw1eBDdOsERF8WV_vCZEBcUFAsyM04bDUrjs6-NPYNFDdtE6y90eTsgBfT-h5GUPj2625gCdZ-IktePynNEAWWFQuscTTllb4KSa1y66GLymsLQmDQSJhwwsfwJX-E0Zr5ZN6bQNqfLEXhgXwuwqeTiQNS2qwGzk1z/s4032/PXL_20220207_181713877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVml3IHX3OJLZvNE7nFdASkyw1eBDdOsERF8WV_vCZEBcUFAsyM04bDUrjs6-NPYNFDdtE6y90eTsgBfT-h5GUPj2625gCdZ-IktePynNEAWWFQuscTTllb4KSa1y66GLymsLQmDQSJhwwsfwJX-E0Zr5ZN6bQNqfLEXhgXwuwqeTiQNS2qwGzk1z/s320/PXL_20220207_181713877.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Are you, your family, or your friends feeling cabin fever from winter and Covid isolation? Wanting to do something with your hands you can be proud of? Needing to do something bigger than yourself, to feel like you're really contributing to the betterment of something important? Been thinking about some time on the beach? <p></p><p>We got you covered on all those and probably a few more.</p><p>This Spring Camp Magruder is repeating its very popular family/friend pod volunteer project retreats. You and your group can look through our curated list of projects we want help with as we gear up for the summer. Once you've chosen a project, call our office (503-355-2310) or email magruder.reservations@gmail.com to get a date on the calendar. </p><p>Lodging will be free in exchange for your generous work, and you can bring your own food or purchase meals made by our incredible kitchen staff. In addition to these energizing projects, you'll have plenty of time to explore camp and experience the healing qualities of saltwater and sand. </p><p>We look forward to spending time with you and getting our hands dirty taking care of this wonderful little place on the coast. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonpQ8ZV09uxEt_kIuqhmW5vQgYDQWRMorAiHnwAcSbpuiZuZpfRVt6Oqmnn1b0u90RuUr7Eu8eWN70_oOgEdASp6DiscBMeveZz9O-XjkKns9nk2Ul-YegZpXLiLm4GK_OH2Ql39quXKRjLwyAEN8mSOamY4j-Tkcwt2usT2e_P8WDmybJspgy-hJ/s4032/PXL_20220207_181409845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonpQ8ZV09uxEt_kIuqhmW5vQgYDQWRMorAiHnwAcSbpuiZuZpfRVt6Oqmnn1b0u90RuUr7Eu8eWN70_oOgEdASp6DiscBMeveZz9O-XjkKns9nk2Ul-YegZpXLiLm4GK_OH2Ql39quXKRjLwyAEN8mSOamY4j-Tkcwt2usT2e_P8WDmybJspgy-hJ/w181-h320/PXL_20220207_181409845.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><b>Magruder Spring Projects<br /></b><p></p><p>-Oil Decks & Benches<br />-Deconstruct Old Dock Structures<br />-Trail Campfire Ring Maintenance<br />-Chappell Hall Boiler Removal<br />-Top Shrubs for Improved Window Views<br />-Picnic Table Varnishing<br />-Paint Fences<br />-Outdoor Chapel Clearing<br />-Flower Box Beautification<br />-Paint Bunch Lodge Exterior<br />-Paint Edwards Lodge Interior<br />-Folding New Camp Store Merchandise</p><p><a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/group-projects.html" target="_blank">Click here to see project descriptions.</a></p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-42542092720019131692022-01-11T14:50:00.001-08:002022-01-11T14:50:43.261-08:00Making Friends is Hard These Days, Part 1: Young Adults<p><br />It's hard to make friends, right? Have you noticed this too?</p><p>On top of that, have you noticed how hard it can be to keep friendships up and support each other for the long haul life throws at us? I think we're all living that reality these days to some degree, but at Camp Magruder we've been thinking a lot about young adults particularly. You know that odd time in life fresh from finishing school, moving into some kind of work, not quite settled into a family, but out of a structure that puts you with lots of people your age every day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNyOykQDu6VxaKGh-kmKOyLiPpBKnUoUXl8ModrfE1oY79e8owj6IfJDHrhg96rrPPA3fVvPFL0dc4ciyZenHMSTW4f2EkRl9WzM9tgj5SPNDxGp6VqHMM-0jBI-ofr2iCChxOmmSBB6cPjGPKxmIzvB9FeqyAMX7LzESODHfN0Gp-SwggYA9BjH4F=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNyOykQDu6VxaKGh-kmKOyLiPpBKnUoUXl8ModrfE1oY79e8owj6IfJDHrhg96rrPPA3fVvPFL0dc4ciyZenHMSTW4f2EkRl9WzM9tgj5SPNDxGp6VqHMM-0jBI-ofr2iCChxOmmSBB6cPjGPKxmIzvB9FeqyAMX7LzESODHfN0Gp-SwggYA9BjH4F=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Young adults are out of the nest in a lonely new frontier navigating how to find friends, how to socialize around a work routine, and moving from the question of "what are you going to be" to "what are you now?" Young people are questioning and exploring lots of deep questions of faith, and a supportive community can be key to pursuing those meaningful questions further. Finding peers to explore with leads to a more fulfilling faith life inwardly and outwardly, if those peers can be found. </p><p>In this time of life where people are learning so much about how to be in the world, a camp experience sure would come in handy. We know well how much children and youth depend on their annual camp experience to rejuvenate, to find a supportive, accepting community, and to live for a few days in a lifestyle that doesn't put so much pressure on achievement and status. And, at a time when these needs are more present than ever, the options and ability to take part in them often drop off. </p><p>Our Program Director, Hope brought up this conversation she has had more than once on one of our magical family camp weekends where a parent talks about coming to Camp Magruder for years as a kid and teenager. Then they graduated and opted not to work on summer staff, and their time to be a camper went on hiatus. They talk about how they looked forward to having kids so they could finally return to camp and have the experience again. This seems like an unfortunate situation to us, and an unnecessary one at that. Young Adults need a place to gather, to experience community, to play, to be inspired by natural beauty, and explore faith in unique ways. It doesn't just stop because you turn 18 and don't have kids. </p><p>This Spring Camp Magruder is working to fill in the gap years for those still hungering for a camp experience. We hope these retreats will fill some of the deep need our Young Adults have, especially now. </p><p><i><b>March 4-6, we will host a retreat for all Young Adults, </b>ages 18-25. There will be time to socialize, to play, and engage in the deep spiritual conversations many of us are seeking to explore. </i></p><p><i><b>May 20-22, we will host Q Camp,</b> a camp exclusively for Young Adults, ages 18-25 from the Queer community. We'll combine our typical camp offerings set aside specifically for connection and community building for LGBTQ Young Adults. </i></p><p><a href="https://www.gocamping.org/campsessions" target="_blank"><i>Click here to register</i></a></p><p>Help us meet this need by sharing this information with people you think would benefit from these camp experiences. We will continue to try to build opportunities to engage our Young Adults so they can better engage this world they move through. We're looking forward to it. </p><p>We want to hear from all of you. Is this struggle real for you? The pandemic has surely made an already difficult issue even harder. In the days we emerge from this isolating period, let's prioritize enriching our communities of faith and friendship. Think of how much better we'll be for it. </p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-51483845321596845652021-11-05T13:22:00.002-07:002021-11-05T13:24:15.310-07:00Better Summer Staff Wages in 2022, Our Giving Tuesday Focus<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHJh9OUGsr1KHerwbRE1xgQJ0nHvbWxI6IJ0qU55nvmRO0PVtU0u227r7egN5OYYrK9iOJiJ_io11QYGSKocH2PpUbTKDhbWeOSwBGVPxu_ayG5zgxRMYJmBNv5ctk5ov-ciIqMNyXRM/s4032/PXL_20210806_181246478.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Summer Staffers waving after a great week" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHJh9OUGsr1KHerwbRE1xgQJ0nHvbWxI6IJ0qU55nvmRO0PVtU0u227r7egN5OYYrK9iOJiJ_io11QYGSKocH2PpUbTKDhbWeOSwBGVPxu_ayG5zgxRMYJmBNv5ctk5ov-ciIqMNyXRM/w400-h225/PXL_20210806_181246478.MP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Staffers waving to campers after a great week</td></tr></tbody></table>Giving Tuesday will be here at the end of November, and we have a worthy cause for you to support on this day for directing some holiday spending to your favorite non-profits. Three of our Oregon-Idaho UM camps are teaming up to better support paid Summer Staffers and open up greater possibilities for those with fewer resources to pursue a summer working at camp. <br /><br />For years, camp leaders in the Oregon-Idaho Conference have wanted to better compensate our Summer Staffers who are the backbone of our youth and family program camps. Camp summer staffs are predominantly made up of young adults who more consistently deal with mounting debt and a lack of well-paying jobs. These issues have grown in exponential ways in the past 20 years where many who would have served on Summer Staff in earlier days do not feel they can choose it now. <br /><br />Camps Latgawa, Magruder, and Suttle Lake have the ambitious goal of paying our Summer Staffers $540 a week for the irreplaceable service they provide to change lives for our campers and retreat guests. We recognize this is still a modest wage compared with the greater job market, but it is a 50% increase to our previous Summer Staff wages. <br /><br />To hire the 8 Resident Counselors who will serve for the summer at each of our three sites, we estimate this will increase our collective budgets by $15,000. To avoid covering this increase exclusively through camp fee hikes, we are kicking off a campaign to raise the $15,000. Your gift will help us provide a fairer wage for this important work, attract incredible new young adults, and build a more diverse core of young leaders involved in our camp’s ministry. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3kefiKHQ7_v2Ch16s5H5pZgBoBLqHxzWZ5B6jWX-FbpsrEmw9l-wIonYb73kGEfxS3DiLoCNoT41-HojoFgwHwhxL9gldOIrNwaqoaYcUtRhvwfBEVf9dskP24iDFHOdrBw-HbWYg4I/s1440/Lee+and+Cole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1440" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3kefiKHQ7_v2Ch16s5H5pZgBoBLqHxzWZ5B6jWX-FbpsrEmw9l-wIonYb73kGEfxS3DiLoCNoT41-HojoFgwHwhxL9gldOIrNwaqoaYcUtRhvwfBEVf9dskP24iDFHOdrBw-HbWYg4I/s320/Lee+and+Cole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Giving Tuesday is November 30, 2021. Our sites will be posting on social media throughout the day <br /> offering easy ways to give digitally. If you want to be on the Giving Tuesday team, making fun posts to spread the word, contact <a href="mailto:troy@campmagruder.org">troy@campmagruder.org</a>. Your help makes a big difference in our success. <br /><br />We hope for a future where our young adults do not have to make the decision to follow their dreams of serving on camp staff solely because of financial considerations. If we can better support our Resident Counselors in their life outside camp, we know they will provide the joyful, creative leadership to change lives when they are here and when they go out into the world. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-55218700106396797132021-10-21T13:48:00.002-07:002021-10-21T13:48:20.305-07:00Changing with the Seasons, Syncing with the Rhythms of Life<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxVrWvYw1io-aG51v_2y13BaHrCA4ZpbOCkqmC79C7UWp_WXzIagL-ryGxPiXxEn8LDMm_PZ4zwUVOefe3XPAnx8VSPFDew0cv_UJaC23-pd8hfAbvx-4_XJVZhvqwKwX7eBSk0OeWUs/s4032/PXL_20211021_204555658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxVrWvYw1io-aG51v_2y13BaHrCA4ZpbOCkqmC79C7UWp_WXzIagL-ryGxPiXxEn8LDMm_PZ4zwUVOefe3XPAnx8VSPFDew0cv_UJaC23-pd8hfAbvx-4_XJVZhvqwKwX7eBSk0OeWUs/s320/PXL_20211021_204555658.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Out on the Oregon Coast more and more of the 10-day forecast is occupied by the rain cloud icon. In<br /> just a few weeks Daylight Savings Time will end for the year, and we'll see sunset before the typical work day is over. These environmental changes will impact everyone's natural rhythms in some way or another. The animals and the trees, of course, are even more tied to this. Some birds will leave us, some will show up. Trees will drop leaves. Mating seasons will commence and young ones will be born. Salmon are swimming upstream as we speak. It is the time of year for these sorts of things.<p></p><p>Some of these rhythms are ancient, and go back way before people were even a thing. Some of ours are still new, recently developed during the pandemic. I've thought a lot in the last year about seasons and rhythm changes that reflect seasonal changes. We often stubbornly want to proceed with whatever trajectory we think we should be on and things like light, temperature, precipitation, fatigue, rejuvenation, harvest, storing, or planting are not acceptable reasons to change that speed. Most every living thing on the planet lives very tied to all these rhythms. Not always us.</p><p>At Camp Magruder, we recently hosted our last scheduled weekend retreat groups for the year. This follows a rewarding but exhausting summer with so many new practices and adjustments. Summer is always a busy time, mirroring the long daylight we experience. Now the cooler air, earlier darkness, and consistent rain are returning. We ask ourselves what this season should look like in our work. We have enough to do (as always) that we could possibly keep the same pace we've been on. Maybe we would accomplish more. But, would that be the right decision? How much would we have left in the tank at the end of the year? Would we be better when groups return in the Spring? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdmmVANSCEdj4K9hYKrZXNxSlYwbSrQ2rMrseYs3UDK9GysrU7b80G8cBd0xSTo76mSWMjaM49-BQr2SHJKVi9pEVb7GL1r-DxiuWS3DFJhEJnID0qXJHIYBYM0Xoncox_9aQqEx41ck/s4032/PXL_20211021_204616771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdmmVANSCEdj4K9hYKrZXNxSlYwbSrQ2rMrseYs3UDK9GysrU7b80G8cBd0xSTo76mSWMjaM49-BQr2SHJKVi9pEVb7GL1r-DxiuWS3DFJhEJnID0qXJHIYBYM0Xoncox_9aQqEx41ck/s320/PXL_20211021_204616771.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We are currently relishing the ability to move slower, to find flexibility in our schedules that wasn't possible in the summer. This is the time to do some necessary maintenance, some reflection, some mending. We are looking at the year behind us and pondering what lessons we'll take from it into the new year. We are working on our bonds with each other, so we will be an even stronger staff next year. It feels right that we would move into a season like this as our environment's season shifts. It feels like we are listening to a voice of something greater than us, trusting its wisdom. <p></p><p>How are you noticing seasonal shifts in your life? Are you longing to alter your schedules, work, or practices because it feels like a time to make that shift? May you find blessings and the love of the spirit whatever seasons you're observing. </p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-14959576281104893552021-10-06T16:29:00.002-07:002021-10-06T16:34:41.068-07:00Improve and Enjoy: Projects for Families & Small Groups this Fall<p>In early Fall 2021 as I walk the grounds of Camp Magruder, I see so much of our camp well-manicured and maintained. It gives me pride to recall what some spots looked like at the beginning of the year, and seeing what they look like now. A big portion of the credit goes to several groups of volunteers who stayed with us in the Spring and Summer, spending some inspirational time on the Oregon Coast while caring for Camp Magruder. </p><p>We've had groups oil several dried up wooden decks, paint the railings of the play ground, clear brush on trails and scenic views, and prepping our buildings against forest fires. Much of these visits and projects came at a time we weren't yet ready to host full groups. Now, as we look at a very lean schedule for Fall 2021, we are excited to again host intimate visits with families or small pods of friends who want to offer their energy, skills, and resources to improve our beloved site. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E9gIum305XgKQjKRz-E_E7Yxei8D4tXG3NW1Tglbul-iz2bnHZjiq8INmZWhvDZr6sK4xie_JZKD3pdLpQL_2WUgKSet3HUnimd7B1I5VHGhXVtT8nMPjXEgRe9Xzy0Aj2gohLrvRys/s4032/PXL_20211004_194624185.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E9gIum305XgKQjKRz-E_E7Yxei8D4tXG3NW1Tglbul-iz2bnHZjiq8INmZWhvDZr6sK4xie_JZKD3pdLpQL_2WUgKSet3HUnimd7B1I5VHGhXVtT8nMPjXEgRe9Xzy0Aj2gohLrvRys/s320/PXL_20211004_194624185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/group-projects.html" target="_blank">Click here to see our slate of projects posted on our website</a><p></p><p>If you these projects interest your group or family or you have a different project in mind, reach out to Leslie in the camp office at 503-355-2310 or magruder.reservations@gmail.com. We'll schedule a time and a lodge that fits your needs and begin plans to improve and enjoy this beautiful site. We look forward to working with you. </p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-27949680731716693142021-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:002021-07-21T09:55:36.793-07:00Join the Camp Magruder Kitchen<p><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />Camp Magruder is seeking full and part time seasonal kitchen staff. Employment is from March to mid-November. </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positions available include, Assistant Head Cook, Assistant Cook, and </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kitchen Utility Staff. </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prior experience is appreciated but not necessary.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ed9878d5-7fff-6424-7b1e-326f8364e2e4"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We offer flexible scheduling with positions available for either daytime (6 AM to 2 PM) or evenings (2 PM to 8 PM). Meals are included. </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oregon Food Handlers License is required, but fees can be covered.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAQYJPggVB2pVk640UkdYvoiFktoXFdhX2ePpgm0JHI_V8t3aU-eQ2hRjjTsOehJ0nrZ0eFcO17ISyxQc3GUAc0wI-q8kT1EgjyM4az09f9HloT08pGlXkJuNs0Pj8jRqRvlwGeDzLk/s2048/217711728_372787180931872_1773880905897560963_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAQYJPggVB2pVk640UkdYvoiFktoXFdhX2ePpgm0JHI_V8t3aU-eQ2hRjjTsOehJ0nrZ0eFcO17ISyxQc3GUAc0wI-q8kT1EgjyM4az09f9HloT08pGlXkJuNs0Pj8jRqRvlwGeDzLk/w152-h203/217711728_372787180931872_1773880905897560963_n.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Magruder kitchen staff provide meals for children, youth, and non-profit organizations doing good in the world. We seek to make friends, change lives, and offer a safe restful place. Staffers learn food skills that can be applied far beyond the camp kitchen and meet lots of incredible, interesting people. Our kitchen staffers often stay with us for many years. <br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome diversity in our workplace. If you have a love for taking care of people and making them feel welcome, we may have a place for you in the Camp Magruder staff family. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check us out at http://www.campmagruder.org/food-services.html. To apply, contact peter@campmagruder.org. </span></p><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-92016079110712750902021-06-21T13:39:00.002-07:002021-06-30T14:32:20.200-07:00Announcing Q Camp<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />The announcement of our newest program retreat has been a long time coming, but we are finally ready to spread the word that registration is open for Q Camp. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8d1fabe-7fff-49ca-ef64-d65487edd736"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Q Camp offers a safe, accepting space for young adults from the LGBTQ+ community to join in spiritual intention--a weekend where the burden of explanation is lessened and campers may feel more comfortable expressing their authentic selves. Within that comfort there will be opportunities to build friendships, connect to nature, and encounter the spirit.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This comes at a time when the involvement of LGBTQ+ in the United Methodist Church is a polarizing conversation nationwide. Our choice of continued inclusion of this community in our circle of campers and leaders takes inspiration from Jesus’ example of pushing new boundaries to engage and invite everyone into a walk of faith. We are following where we feel the spirit of God is leading us. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i9ri7AST0ergCpgqf94pfqu9YYTXCLJC1TNjS0qAWSYrcX27XBU-ZgURG7yCIHsMiO_a4CAEmOCK2AVGBYMAEIV9MLHVK69pReSL1TVWOuUAGglbJYpSkM1L98GVjU1CavTB8Unxcs8/s851/Q+Camp+2021.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i9ri7AST0ergCpgqf94pfqu9YYTXCLJC1TNjS0qAWSYrcX27XBU-ZgURG7yCIHsMiO_a4CAEmOCK2AVGBYMAEIV9MLHVK69pReSL1TVWOuUAGglbJYpSkM1L98GVjU1CavTB8Unxcs8/w368-h136/Q+Camp+2021.png" width="368" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dates for Q Camp are July 30 - August 1. </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cost is on a sliding scale of $50-$152, thanks to a gift from the Collins Foundation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Registration is open now at https://www.gocamping.org/campsession/13248772</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-67899095053872824292021-06-04T10:50:00.002-07:002021-06-04T10:50:09.582-07:00Getting Our Hands Dirty this June<p>We've done a lot of outside work at Camp Magruder this week. Early June has been sunny and warm, making the work much more enjoyable. The eagles are out with their eaglets, teaching how to be the alpha bird on the Oregon Coast. And, under them on the ground, Spring cleaning is in full swing. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgcaEEYzw9ApxzpOmQ7b4Y0PitVwsw0p-8Op-p11j3Z0ZLKCRzcPdiTYBbYiWOGJs2weTYYVV46kMycBqV9UMV12-YZgxtEJOAqoHkajqG9KXjwrLe8HhTbC_hKN5rzV7DSEReui5J4U/s4032/PXL_20210603_222633855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgcaEEYzw9ApxzpOmQ7b4Y0PitVwsw0p-8Op-p11j3Z0ZLKCRzcPdiTYBbYiWOGJs2weTYYVV46kMycBqV9UMV12-YZgxtEJOAqoHkajqG9KXjwrLe8HhTbC_hKN5rzV7DSEReui5J4U/s320/PXL_20210603_222633855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gwenyn's stellar work around Pines Cabin</td></tr></tbody></table>Volunteer Gwenyn Sasaki joined us along with her toddler Oliver and mother-in-law, Jenny, to spend some time at the camp where she grew up, helping out with fire mitigation around some of our cabins. They cleared out brush and ground cover next to the Pines and Collins cabins, creating a defensible space that might save them should fire sweep through the camp. It also makes the cabin space look much more manicured and welcoming. Oliver was often strapped to her back in a backpack or toddling around helping move tiny bits of brush. I love the idea that he is helping his mom in work like this in his very early years. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysfiDOFhU3KVJLPfNSu2zElhpyiqCI1ldd3KvsaAaQKO2UxQy9x0z5lfpQcMZYEuurbC24u8wFfYOLqZ5N-9Yp7VCLv1RRjTeaB13aFycepqJhiFkcaCpiEG5SsyO6JTQsfnbRL8H7kE/s2048/195531820_178615434182170_7006867151733628611_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysfiDOFhU3KVJLPfNSu2zElhpyiqCI1ldd3KvsaAaQKO2UxQy9x0z5lfpQcMZYEuurbC24u8wFfYOLqZ5N-9Yp7VCLv1RRjTeaB13aFycepqJhiFkcaCpiEG5SsyO6JTQsfnbRL8H7kE/s320/195531820_178615434182170_7006867151733628611_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>The entire Magruder staff spent Wednesday on Highway 101 picking up litter on our stretch of adopted highway. We filled 31 bags of trash and piled up tires, siding, and even a rogue garbage can. We laughed as we tallied how many different types of whiskey bottles we could find, making up imaginative stories about how different pieces of trash made it to the ditches along 101. Several cars honked out encouragement as they passed, and we chatted with cyclists as they passed on their scenic routes We had seafood and chips at the Old Oregon Smokehouse in Rockaway Beach, catching up with each other after a long pandemic break. </p><p>At the end of the day, there were lots of comments on how stiff, sore, and sunburnt we were, but there were also affirmations on how much fun the day had been. We felt pride in what we accomplished and had some great staff bonding working under the eagles and the early June sunshine. I suspect we'll have lots more satisfying days like these in the coming months. </p><p>If you are interested in doing some valuable, rewarding work, there are so many opportunities. Contact the Camp Magruder office to line up a time you can be surrounded by Oregon Coast beauty while working with your hands. If a trip to the coast isn't in the cards, I encourage you to find a place close by that could use your help. It's good for the body, mind, and spirit. </p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-48294899695323004162021-05-27T14:36:00.002-07:002021-05-28T08:39:24.319-07:00The Healing Nature of Camp<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx15aQb1D0kGFBF8MZnBSLgHW7NmfP9IeB8Sp0p6Z06AiI3N4MVZiRWATFTMTZiEmxoFRi2RFqqr4S1nHfYcJF88zGCDxf-9a8ggLq6NnPpmuZRaywJh6JP0fxfBeURiyoB2U7fEqZ7d0/s3264/PXL_20210522_204825897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx15aQb1D0kGFBF8MZnBSLgHW7NmfP9IeB8Sp0p6Z06AiI3N4MVZiRWATFTMTZiEmxoFRi2RFqqr4S1nHfYcJF88zGCDxf-9a8ggLq6NnPpmuZRaywJh6JP0fxfBeURiyoB2U7fEqZ7d0/s320/PXL_20210522_204825897.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Recently I took a long weekend to travel to Central Oregon and explore the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Units. I kept my itinerary simple, tent camping on Bureau of Land Management Properties, eating food I could carry in a backpack or pick up at small town restaurants. I slept in rain, snow, and wind that nearly blew my tent away with me in it. I waded into the John Day and Deschutes Rivers cooling my tired, blistered feet. I saw beautiful, inspiring landscapes. I learned about life that existed long before me. I challenged and pushed myself out of my comfort zone--not enough to feel terror--just the right amount to grow. <p></p><p>Even camp leaders who live camp life every day benefit from a camp experience of their own, adventuring to somewhere new, pushing comfort zones, finding moments of wonder, simplifying the complexities of regular life. I knew taking this time away would have a positive impact as I returned to this work preparing for campers to come to Magruder and have these experiences for themselves. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHr1SnHbwjA2eXN-D61aEkzqUA7qLP9Ipg2fPXQEFVdoY-4m390f-8pKZ_Mr-OHYO7f8IlR-AKElnZt3zeFxcDji5POviovcIoBUcOAkR9OGlwsU492ScS9Vm47Hh3d6wDRuXr1LWuNA/s2048/IMG_20160704_104503998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHr1SnHbwjA2eXN-D61aEkzqUA7qLP9Ipg2fPXQEFVdoY-4m390f-8pKZ_Mr-OHYO7f8IlR-AKElnZt3zeFxcDji5POviovcIoBUcOAkR9OGlwsU492ScS9Vm47Hh3d6wDRuXr1LWuNA/s320/IMG_20160704_104503998.jpg" width="320" /></a>The immersion in nature, the slow down from our normal routines, the relaxation from being in an accepting community, the confidence emerging from stepping out of comfort zones--these virtues are so timely to the year we just went through. As we watch registrations grow each day, I realize we are preparing to give this great gift to lots of people who really need it. This is nothing new--we were doing this long before the pandemic. But, it carries extra weight now as we all slowly get back on our feet. </p><p>Over the next month, as we keep up with the evolving guidelines and train on important stuff old and new, it's never too far out my conscience that we are doing this to be part of a great healing process. Registration is open and growing each day. Families, children, and youth will soon be making the drive out to the coast. Will you be part of it? Have you had a chance to get away and heal? We are preparing for the adventure, the gathering of people, the rejuvenation. We think it will be a special one. </p><p>Registration is open now at <a href="http://gocamping.org/campsessions">gocamping.org/campsessions</a>. Early bird registration discount is available until June 15. Scholarships are here to those who need it. Don't miss out. I imagine it will be good for all of us. </p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-59620638935163168732021-05-07T12:58:00.005-07:002021-05-07T12:58:33.027-07:00Ready For Challenges, Ready For Magic<p> I remember vividly a summer storm in Tennessee that totally interrupted all our regular plans one night at summer camp. The power went out and the sky occasionally lit up with lightening, then came the deep boom of thunder. Trees were tossed around like rag dolls, dropping branches from their canopies. We had heard the tornado warnings and knew some could be moving in our direction, but only had battery powered weather radios for information from the outside world. We hustled every camper (around 200) to the safest place at camp in a storm like this, the below-ground dining hall of the main building. </p><p>Everyone was understandably rattled, but we also knew our first priority was to reassure our campers and restore a sense of safety and ease to them. The summer staff, by instinct, plunged into singing every song they knew by lantern and candlelight. They brought energy and excitement like they usually did, singing at the tops of their voices, banging on tables, and getting most of the campers into it too. Where the building had been shaking with thunder claps, it was now shaking from voices and handclaps. In the midst of a concerning situation, we were making the best of it--reminding ourselves we had each other and each other can pull joy from just about anything. Years later that night stays in my mind. I'm not sure I remember anything else from that week. This is something I've noticed many times in camp work--sometimes the on-the-fly audibles that hardships push us to call have a deeper impact than what we originally planned. And, it's not just the scary or hard parts that are memorable. It is the strange, stubborn joy that can arise when we pull together and make the best of a challenging situation. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xcYGpBaEN6Ir5MD1205StUxXfaUEI8SvXHkY02BrqHTdhonzL2T6NMluUiTFsqbQVkMLiYXep573xBZaT-1dzqPevZQvPExe9oP8GlWR_mbx903rvpJZPU1CVXvky3rcJkQQdTZsMMU/s4032/PXL_20210427_162929772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xcYGpBaEN6Ir5MD1205StUxXfaUEI8SvXHkY02BrqHTdhonzL2T6NMluUiTFsqbQVkMLiYXep573xBZaT-1dzqPevZQvPExe9oP8GlWR_mbx903rvpJZPU1CVXvky3rcJkQQdTZsMMU/s320/PXL_20210427_162929772.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As we scramble to plan in conjunction with ever evolving wisdom and guidelines for Covid-19, I know this is not going to be a summer like the ones we've gotten used to in recent years. I know it will be challenging and stressful for our staff. I know the solutions and interpretations to guidelines for reopening will seem too restrictive to some and too risky for others. We will all enter this experience with some level of trepidation and uncertainty, because none of us have ever gone back to camp after a global pandemic. But, if it is anything like much of my other camp experience, I suspect we will make it meaningful and joyful in the midst of so much newness. <p></p><p>Despite the worries, frustrations, and baggage we will bring with us, summer camp is happening this</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOuNFpS_A6CDi_ffr6jVD6Ib0kVAzNKZjEtd3ph8rIFqeHbIC3pZAkvUIbrMPnBlpaUqgRlZ3SdB0qkGwq4L0ETrjRHRr4VnvKQi3EyboZv2GAUercAWTme79oRjaMnxuoEgPgsJ1Xko/s4032/PXL_20210412_025628720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOuNFpS_A6CDi_ffr6jVD6Ib0kVAzNKZjEtd3ph8rIFqeHbIC3pZAkvUIbrMPnBlpaUqgRlZ3SdB0qkGwq4L0ETrjRHRr4VnvKQi3EyboZv2GAUercAWTme79oRjaMnxuoEgPgsJ1Xko/s320/PXL_20210412_025628720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>year. Did you read that? Summer. Camp. Is. Happening. There is no doubt it will be different. I can promise you some parts of it will be more tedious. But, I also trust there will be moments of pure magic, because time and again I've seen a group of people make the most out of difficult situations in ways I could hardly imagine. Out of necessity, we will change the ways we've traditionally done things to lower the risk of this stubborn virus. But, one ingredient that won't be altered is that a group of kids and staffers will be brought together for several days to connect and have fun. When they do that, they usually find a way. And somehow that joy heals during scary, uncertain times. When we go home, we may look back on this summer as the weirdest one we ever had, but I suspect it could be one of the most meaningful too. <p></p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-80142129271068859202021-04-27T13:43:00.002-07:002021-04-27T13:43:17.894-07:00A sunny springtime day at Camp Magruder has a way of drawing you outside from the stuffy office. I took a stroll this morning, and it lightened my mood from the sleepiness I dragged into work today. The life opening up everywhere had my head, heart, and spirit pondering stuff I thought worthy of sharing.
<div><br /></div><div>I started at North Ballfield where the grass is deep green from spring rains, and the ornamental cherry trees have blossomed in pink and white. Birds and squirrels are hard at their morning tasks, and you can hear the calls of Stellar's Jays, Red-winged blackbirds, and Ducks on the lake. The sun shined around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJfmRAwZcLxgxgLjqAN-BDZ1Tim8lzo_0I1OODQnZtCmjPJlBCEparRisxr4ixahFgH2LacrQc5zZQ7GWq1s-DzsYMJFNVvt5gV62BbpfO0blULy_lWOsCPxgN7cv0boUVP63c5P3sJc/s4032/PXL_20210427_161644196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJfmRAwZcLxgxgLjqAN-BDZ1Tim8lzo_0I1OODQnZtCmjPJlBCEparRisxr4ixahFgH2LacrQc5zZQ7GWq1s-DzsYMJFNVvt5gV62BbpfO0blULy_lWOsCPxgN7cv0boUVP63c5P3sJc/w356-h200/PXL_20210427_161644196.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>several puffy clouds, and the new spring energy can began to rub off on me. My brain wanted to explain it, thinking ahead to this post. </div><div><br /></div><div>All that thinking felt too much like work this morning, though, so I leaned more into the senses and feelings responding to the morning air and bursts of colors. Parts of me were responding ways I couldn't access with words and explanations. It's a way I've been trying to listen to the spirit more recently, trying to think and feel without words. What do the blooms on the trees say when they can't talk? How do they know God and the stuff inside them that says, "Grow." </div><div><br /></div><div>I walked farther down Camp Magruder's main road, stopping at the Sherlock deck. Smith Lake was <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcTNPLD3kJcG1k8-rzOionm7s8his3MORVlqVE6P75V8RlukaEGux2KBprvhQa_BkuhosetOOv-uBMhyphenhyphentnW1leHxWcfDEq0IqefUWbwQQzX9mZnZgKlgFP5HfNM5HSh6OXPBFG9FDs0U/s4032/PXL_20210427_161948411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcTNPLD3kJcG1k8-rzOionm7s8his3MORVlqVE6P75V8RlukaEGux2KBprvhQa_BkuhosetOOv-uBMhyphenhyphentnW1leHxWcfDEq0IqefUWbwQQzX9mZnZgKlgFP5HfNM5HSh6OXPBFG9FDs0U/s320/PXL_20210427_161948411.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>smooth and green, reflecting the color that has been filled in by the Alders sprouting leaves. Smith Mountain is a mix of a bright, almost neon green and the deeper forest green of the conifers. </div><div><br /></div><div>If it were a typical year, school buses would be dropping off middle schoolers for a week of Outdoor School. They would test samples collected from the lake and learn about all the tiny creatives who live there. This day was quiet, but part of me sensed the voices that had filled the air in the years past. I asked for blessings on the ones who had made those sounds before and the ones who would come in the future and return words into this air. The quiet of today was also saying something too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3vAuxudS-e_sbc4KOGolmaL0f_FJL62vsAqew4UMTUHccmU-oK4HGBsIqQwZfkNqIIadu2l4bhfZrAyDhZmw_Gf7yGmR2Y7MOUXzqtGRAXXHdJeaiUwI56_nJ6c4-OS-vXCSfn-O8jY/s4032/PXL_20210427_162729250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3vAuxudS-e_sbc4KOGolmaL0f_FJL62vsAqew4UMTUHccmU-oK4HGBsIqQwZfkNqIIadu2l4bhfZrAyDhZmw_Gf7yGmR2Y7MOUXzqtGRAXXHdJeaiUwI56_nJ6c4-OS-vXCSfn-O8jY/s320/PXL_20210427_162729250.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As I approached the dining hall, I saw the blooming rhododendrons in front of the Meditation Patio path. These rhodie bushes are close to 20 feet tall in places, and they explode bright colorful flowers in Spring. At most angles my camera couldn't capture sharp images of the blooms, because the magenta was so bring. It was like taking pictures of small ultraviolet suns. </div><div><br /></div><div>My prayerful walk ended at the boathouse, where I looked out on Smith Lake one more time under the deep blue of the sky and the cottony clouds. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtIZ0sdmmAVYo2bp_LuEXBq2g3alsa_LfHaTCWML1F7SwBmNPmFlCxddawUjFBEu4PmTt0DpIW78QiS0yRBFG-xxMBVtq33pzc-VunF1UrZtwHF3ehgoV9FwBfpSs-uC0ShckehNmunQ/s4032/PXL_20210427_162929772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtIZ0sdmmAVYo2bp_LuEXBq2g3alsa_LfHaTCWML1F7SwBmNPmFlCxddawUjFBEu4PmTt0DpIW78QiS0yRBFG-xxMBVtq33pzc-VunF1UrZtwHF3ehgoV9FwBfpSs-uC0ShckehNmunQ/s320/PXL_20210427_162929772.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The colors of the world were deeper than what seemed like "normal." I felt awake and alive. I felt thankful. </div><div><br /></div><div>A song occurred to me along the walk we used to sing at camp when I was first counseling, <i>Hymn of Promise.</i> It starts, "In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed an apple tree. In cocoons a hidden promise, butterflies will soon be free." </div><div><br /></div><div>I sang it alone, and thought about how the song was surely written on a day like this. The song ends, "In the cold and snow of Winter, there's a Spring that waits to be. Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see." </div><div><br /></div><div>I saw all around me the signs of Spring being revealed. I felt this prayer in my body, waiting for what else was in store to be revealed, listening peacefully to the spirit of life and growth doing its work in this place I live, hopefully doing its work in me too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have you taken a walk like this recently? Has the Spring spoken in mysterious and refreshing ways that to try to explain wouldn't do it justice? Have your walks in the present brought you in touch with things past and future all at once? It is comforting to think many of us are sharing walks like these at the same time, until we can walk again together. Many blessings on your next walk.</div>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-70267626587591953122021-04-20T16:09:00.000-07:002021-04-20T16:09:01.980-07:00The Pandemic is Changing Camp Magruder<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRyTmzN0xRFtNQowtxA3INXSjnJsWe8fRW5v7e0Pkpl3yg0KZixuthNhnytuw-OoJ5888v333Pvve0Bif6zOGz_wZqwIa9LtToX34qfUey1_61YyITFBQoJfUYgasm4mRa8V6UoQJ2-8/s4032/PXL_20210323_165057902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRyTmzN0xRFtNQowtxA3INXSjnJsWe8fRW5v7e0Pkpl3yg0KZixuthNhnytuw-OoJ5888v333Pvve0Bif6zOGz_wZqwIa9LtToX34qfUey1_61YyITFBQoJfUYgasm4mRa8V6UoQJ2-8/s320/PXL_20210323_165057902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I indulge in these thoughts</span></b> that maybe you also do sometimes, where I think back to my pre-pandemic self in January 2020 and wonder what I'd think if I was dropped into the present day. I imagine being a little dumbfounded about how quickly and decisively things would change in just a few weeks. I wonder if I would look at the year to come and be overwhelmed or excited. Like most things, a lot of it would depend on how future me tells the story. <p></p><p>It's no secret 2020 and likely all of 2021 too have and will be challenging for Camp Magruder. We are moving closer to picking back up with the work we were doing in the middle of March last year that was promptly cut short. We have been changed by this time, as everyone has. I wonder how strange and overwhelming it will be when we gather together in larger groups. I imagine a heightened cautiousness will persist with us for many years to come. But, we also have seen new parts of ourselves emerge during this time of isolation when many of our regular, time consuming routines were leveled. </p><p>In the early days of the pandemic, Camp Magruder found itself looking to serve without one of its great superpowers--the ability to gather lots of people together. Our natural instinct for how to help people heal became a major way to spread Covid-19. This caused us to do some soul-searching, to dig deeper into who we are, all the things we are good at, and how many different ways we might serve. We've pitched lots of ideas. Some crashed and burned, some were shelved for better times, some are in slow process, but a few have sprouted wings and begun to fly. </p><p>We don't intend to put these new developments up on the shelf as the pandemic eases and campers and retreat groups return. In fact, we hope these new practices grow and flourish, enhancing our traditional work. These new focuses address dreams we've tossed around for years but have rarely had time to explore. One has us looking inward in our own back yard, the other has us looking outward across the entire world. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Feeding the Hungry, Helping Our Home</h3><p style="text-align: left;">When a payroll protection grant ensured the Magruder staff would continue to work through late spring and early summer 2020, most of our staff had no trouble finding work to do. But, the kitchen staff had no guests to cook for. A meeting with a few local United Methodist Church leaders spring-boarded us into partnerships with several UMCs, our local school district, Fred Meyer, and a local youth non-profit to feed hungry people in Tillamook County. </p><p style="text-align: left;">When money ran out from the PPP grant, funds emerged from other organizations and individuals to keep the meals going. Every week the Camp Magruder kitchen and Nehalem Bay UMC send out between 50-100 meals to families in our region, and during every school holiday or break, the kitchen is part of an awesome collective that provides meals for students on free/reduced lunch throughout the county. In summer 2020, we distributed around 6,700 meals to local kids.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1gaL2dJRmJXKSnYT02dI4HcBj_rbOaDiLBSnKemfmmq-Ui9IXUnE2UY7ovqiS2v32xVJt49t2qMovu_yyHjAylaGaat0K6UjYhR7S-D7brn-yyUn4tCVN3wwRvT3euVBH_So_RbfXs0/s4032/PXL_20210322_174907029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1gaL2dJRmJXKSnYT02dI4HcBj_rbOaDiLBSnKemfmmq-Ui9IXUnE2UY7ovqiS2v32xVJt49t2qMovu_yyHjAylaGaat0K6UjYhR7S-D7brn-yyUn4tCVN3wwRvT3euVBH_So_RbfXs0/s320/PXL_20210322_174907029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Though we expect guests to return to the Magruder dining hall in July, we will figure out the logistics of continuing to prepare meals, possibly expand our efforts. This work has helped us be more of an acting member of this beautiful area we live in, connecting us with our neighbors doing important work. With this work we are not just a destination for retreat, we are sustainers for this place so many people love. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">As this program grows and takes shape, we hope to open up possibilities for retreat guests to understand what is happening during their stay. The kitchen will likely be preparing meals for guests and for hungry people in our county simultaneously. As we learn more about food insecurity issues in Tillamook County, we hope to shine a light on it for our guests and even offer ways they might join this life giving work, creating some beautiful unlikely connections. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Digital Camp Magruder, Reaching Far Beyond the Beach</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Even before the pandemic, we'd been having conversations at Camp Magruder about how we could connect with campers and guests digitally in a way that felt authentic to who we are. When it became one of our only options for connecting with our traditional campers and guests, we poured our energy into producing videos, posting pictures, starting conversations, and writing thoughtful posts about faith, growth, learning, and nature. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">We hope you've been impacted by, felt connected to, and shared with friends the posts over the past year that have been meaningful to you. We all know our youth are integrating web-based technology into their everyday life more and more, but the truth is we all are. This is a tricky balance to walk, being a place for people to get away from normal life to be outdoors and connect in face to face interaction. We suspect, though, the future we are all growing into will create some sort of hybrid that fuses camp and virtual, creating something that's not exactly what either one looked like on its own. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaoTqAGJfBv3EdEU9vCGhTnFE5RSWyQPGydgo2WlZXPx1ZnCsMOsdu4huCyfBlAtDNomNPvo_vr6NNVRWXcbNal__JlcB74OPa7sh0aJ5snlNTDem5AqC09qRBO99nDWDZyKL0XwX0L4/s4032/PXL_20210203_190833918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaoTqAGJfBv3EdEU9vCGhTnFE5RSWyQPGydgo2WlZXPx1ZnCsMOsdu4huCyfBlAtDNomNPvo_vr6NNVRWXcbNal__JlcB74OPa7sh0aJ5snlNTDem5AqC09qRBO99nDWDZyKL0XwX0L4/s320/PXL_20210203_190833918.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">We don't think it will replace what happens in person at camp, and we don't think it will look exactly like a bunch of kids in the woods on devices. We do think, being more virtually connected could offer something of the camp experience for campers and guests who have more difficulty being in the wilderness or with large groups of people. It could make the camp experience more available to people without time or means to get away that far for that long. And, it could enhance the camp experience year-round, allowing campers to visit camp during the low times, reflective moments, times of renewed joy, and to have their spiritual cup filled when physically being at camp is not so easy. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We are also excited about how the content we produce through our staff and campers may cultivate deeper connections with churches in our region and strengthen our ability to be in ministry together. We will continue our progress in being a leaders among the other United Methodist Camps of the United States. Our training videos are used by the National Camp and Retreat Ministries Board to train counselors. Our videos and blog posts are being shared in national camp circles and churches throughout our conference. As we share the lessons camp life teaches us, it can reach far beyond these 160 acres here on the coast and the guests who show up in person. We can truly share camp with the whole world. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5gqqJB9AlTcz8pmE0ADA9wWuQ6ns_WT3oyJ7Pc72Cu0cEYLbwHNYN4IgTFvqlH9rCxxWB687cbRWJ-h7kKcR-jVggV2kdAL6z9-eh5sBmFaiH1sFAXFCg70tbiCcEoSxJMFTvoczIu0/s4032/PXL_20210402_024106268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5gqqJB9AlTcz8pmE0ADA9wWuQ6ns_WT3oyJ7Pc72Cu0cEYLbwHNYN4IgTFvqlH9rCxxWB687cbRWJ-h7kKcR-jVggV2kdAL6z9-eh5sBmFaiH1sFAXFCg70tbiCcEoSxJMFTvoczIu0/s320/PXL_20210402_024106268.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I would never have wished </span></b>for an over year long shut down for camp, but in this quiet time we have grown in ways that might not have been possible in a typical busy year. We have reflected, we have appreciated what happens here, and we have dreamed big for how much will happen as we reemerge from our hibernation. We look forward to sharing more. <p></p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-45349416508943265142020-09-11T15:05:00.003-07:002020-09-11T15:06:57.268-07:00Camp Magruder Fire Update<p>Camp Magruder currently sits out of danger as fires have even made their way to the Oregon Coast. All camp staff who live onsite have remained in place, staying indoors as much as possible to avoid the heavy smoke that has been in the air. Camp was without power for over 24 hours following the windstorm early in the week. Several smaller trees fell, but no buildings were damaged. </p><p>The nearest fire to camp is the Pike Road fire near Idaville around 20 miles from Camp Magruder which has burned an estimated 220-250 acres. Our most recent update from the Tillamook County Sheriff's Department relayed info from the Oregon Department of Forestry that though the fire is only 5% contained, there is a fire line completely surrounding it, and weather conditions are favorable for containment. </p><p>Camp Magruder is housing two families from the Idaville area who had to evacuate, and though local conditions seem to be improving, we are in discussions with local partners and our supervisory bodies about larger scale sheltering for evacuees should need locally or from other parts of the region. </p><p>There has been a haze of orangey-brown clouds many Oregonians are unfortunately familiar with above camp for the last three days. As of Friday the smoke had begun to ease up and the smell has not been as strong, but we are trying not to spend too much time outside. </p><p>We have heard from friends all over the state and the country, checking in to make sure we are ok. Thanks so much for your love and care. It is so uplifting to be part of such a loving circle of friends, even during these trying times. </p><p><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkL8vp3U7FdIOKgNbgFks6OsfyvE6Myl9wZ0y7w5aOxJNjNJv5WEuyS93ClZCkSpgilgRcL69mDNM2IrvABppCZ0H6S0UlqR3nzh0fcFgIilJkLJWNOCqZi6CbKQ8xtTxIhfp7zr4V7k/s5248/IMG_20200909_080452559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="5248" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkL8vp3U7FdIOKgNbgFks6OsfyvE6Myl9wZ0y7w5aOxJNjNJv5WEuyS93ClZCkSpgilgRcL69mDNM2IrvABppCZ0H6S0UlqR3nzh0fcFgIilJkLJWNOCqZi6CbKQ8xtTxIhfp7zr4V7k/w320-h180/IMG_20200909_080452559.jpg" title="Skies above Magruder 9/9" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skies above Magruder 9/9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="5248" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFqxC5gX2NFvetJS-OhX1viH2iel-OKosuYTGoj2lfjsQ97dphJciwiv4FVhgA2uscKHxD72-Y9HSGujAXyGjpWgfudTb0Pr_ICtvvxL6E7lQDnYyRqCvBeSXJKJn_azA4nQIoxOi8VQ/w320-h180/IMG_20200911_145642962.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skies above Magruder 9/11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-75495172733698289852020-06-25T16:18:00.002-07:002020-06-26T12:02:37.922-07:00Camp Ghosts: Thoughts for Campers and Guests Missing CampOn any normal year on the fourth Thursday of June, the day I’m writing this, Camp to Belong would be here on the grounds of Camp Magruder. Camp to Belong reunites siblings separated by foster care or state services for a week of camp. Their festivities are loud; in the evenings they have carnivals and dances. The whole time they’re here feels like a celebration. The whole time they’re here <i>is</i> a celebration, of being together, of being physically close, of spending time near people you love. In that way, their program isn’t unique to the countless groups and guests we host throughout the year. It’s about being close to people committed to showing you that you are loved and valued in the community.<br />
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Today, I am working from home, as I have for many days since the start of the pandemic. From my open window, I can hear birds chirping, wind in the trees, the ring of the buoy out at the end of the jetty. There are no voices mixed in. It's quiet here now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzCCe3coqJXH9DRizaoFHKb1WbEqD-l84w1NBTDAsDcWcERQlBbrcIgGjFM2F_5sJIBi2x31AXmREJOjNrQrx8fezx3ljYKqeJDWLsGI9aoVc29Gz8CRSksT9eEBEqnpPbGzXMkwkgWHQ/s1600/66138680_1985940551506752_1817968547255549952_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzCCe3coqJXH9DRizaoFHKb1WbEqD-l84w1NBTDAsDcWcERQlBbrcIgGjFM2F_5sJIBi2x31AXmREJOjNrQrx8fezx3ljYKqeJDWLsGI9aoVc29Gz8CRSksT9eEBEqnpPbGzXMkwkgWHQ/s320/66138680_1985940551506752_1817968547255549952_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp store at 3:00pm on a normal year. I can hear the voices and<br />
laughter <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">floating up to my house.</span></td></tr>
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There hasn’t been a lot of time for me to process the emptiness of this summer yet. Yet every day I find myself thinking, oh, at 3 o’clock on this day any other year, kids would be lining up below my house at Walworth Lodge for Camp Store time, or I walk by the lake and notice the swim lines and the trampoline that didn’t go up this year. On each calendar day, I think of who would usually be here, and in essence, who’s not here now.<br />
<br />
Troy and I have forever talked about how camp is a place that is home to many ghosts. Not the kind of ghosts that haunt your attic from past residents with unfinished business or something like that, but the kind of impressions left on a place that you only notice when a space that’s meant to be busy and poppin’ is empty and still. I think of it a lot when I walk by the playground area at camp. There’s long grass around the Donkey Totem Pole now. On a normal year that wouldn’t be possible because of the endless footprints that would have trodden the ground there.<br />
<br />
I find myself reliving my days as a camper at Lakeshore, the camp I grew up at. It’s not something I do regularly anymore because I’m often inundated with the current camp experience. But it’s random things now. The way my sleeping bag felt as I listened to my friends’ breaths easing into sleep around me, among all the outside sounds you could hear from the platform tents where we slept. I remember arriving and looking around at the new faces and wondering which ones, by the end of the week, would mean much more to me as I waved goodbye. I remember coming home from camp thinking new, different music was cool that I’d not heard of before camp that summer, music I still think is cool, that I still play on the guitar. I remember laughing playing frisbee. I remember moping around the house after camp because I wasn’t there anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulPL4A_6rehUdCKTUf4SvnJtYCmAAT_-KR8TRA0q09BtpJRQ9ly8RVOwtueNC1wYMomB7fx6LuW3xV-RofjLdyZQQQizofCoPGnowdoLblhNcaEDqlkBIMjiBL09T64RrDQ6-N6bK4baE/s1600/1933765_6553835257_5463_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulPL4A_6rehUdCKTUf4SvnJtYCmAAT_-KR8TRA0q09BtpJRQ9ly8RVOwtueNC1wYMomB7fx6LuW3xV-RofjLdyZQQQizofCoPGnowdoLblhNcaEDqlkBIMjiBL09T64RrDQ6-N6bK4baE/s320/1933765_6553835257_5463_n.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young, snaggle-toothed Hope, at her first week of camp at Lakeshore. </td></tr>
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<br />
As an adult now, I cope by knowing that if there was ever a “right time” not to have camp, a global pandemic makes the most sense. But those memories remind me of something else. They remind me that as a kid, you are always growing, forming who you are going to be. That’s always happening, sure, but developmentally, for kids and youth, the time is always right now. I’ve found myself asking, “If you didn’t have any one of those years of camp, what would be different about you now? What would you not know?” <br />
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That question haunts me. <br />
<br />
So, to every camper out there, grieving the summer they don’t have at camp, I want you to know that this place is stained by your presence. You made this place a little bit more like you when you came, and we are better for it. I am so sad you aren’t here this year. I think of your names and faces every day.<br />
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When you come back, we’ll pick up where we left off. And until then, know that a little part of you is stuck at this place, the same way you carry a bit of Camp Magruder with you when you’re gone. Until you’re back, I hope you continue to know that the communities we share in are what’s sacred, not just the place. The world needs that knowledge right now, so carry it with you.<br />
<br />
The site directors for the Oregon-Idaho Camps and Retreats, including myself, will begin furlough on July 1. Please, remember camps during this difficult times. If you’d like to connect we’re all on email, although know we’ll be slower to respond. Until next time... "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of Her hand."<br />
<br />
warmly, <br />
<br />
Hope<br />
Program Director<br />
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Camp Magruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00869380255172360003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-34560717943563226322020-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:002020-06-03T16:40:41.776-07:00Losing the Light When Summer’s Ended: Lessons from camp about isolation and abrupt transitions, as quarantine wears down recovering friendsI was texting a friend recently, and he told me basically every recovering addict he knows has relapsed since the country began isolating for the coronavirus pandemic. We chatted about how difficult isolation has become in particular for people with substance abuse and mental health issues. He encouraged me, if I was leading a devotion or meditation, to lift this up, because he felt camps had a unique perspective to offer the world about isolation. <br />
<br />
When working long-term at a camp, human interaction can be feast or famine, and the transition between the two is not usually gradual. I’ve seen summer staff grapple with this year after year. I’ve felt this each year at the end of the camp season. Being at camp can be overwhelming at first due to the lack of connection with the outside world, family, non-camp friends. Then leaving camp can be its own challenge. One has to quickly switch from a structured community with supportive friends, lots of activity and uplifting experiences into what? We leave the safe and supportive camp environment and enter a world with more uncertainty, communities with more strings attached, and less understanding of our personal struggles. It can be a shock to the mind, body, and spirit. <br />
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So, I thought I’d offer lessons I’ve picked up over 25 years of shifting from one camp life to another for those really struggling with quarantine life. This certainly won’t replace professional counseling or emergency responses. But, maybe it will get at something universal and make us feel a little less alone in all this. <br />
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<b><b>Be With the Emotions</b></b></div>
Even good transitions carry sadness. It is normal to be sad when something ends. I think about a summer full of people, celebration, connection, noise and how the day after it ends it all goes quiet. It can make you feel like the meaning you found is gone too. Give yourself permission to be sad about it. Sit with those emotions and ponder what they bring out for you. As you sit with the sadness, you may realize it hurts so much because it means so much. It may take you to deeper places you didn’t know before. <br />
<br />
<b>Keep Community Alive</b><br />
Missing friends is part of the sadness any time camp ends. I feel this several times a year, just wanting to have those people in the same room again to laugh, to share stories, to listen to each other. It is lonely going from access to a loving, supportive community straight to being alone. For people with deeper struggles, their supportive community may be the biggest thing keeping them stable. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4zKpTOTDBHVQ06Yjsbq3mS3-dIx4XP5_CgEMgmrsVgMmZxR1Pp-pTsmf4zwr-GT-7d-5lF-ei1nHYVI3ceVGwzyNPxXu3RAfHw47ov8N6bl-9FEdfb5Bf9HB7Q4Gfh6xmcL5fl3Auqs/s1600/IMG_20190120_163950982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4zKpTOTDBHVQ06Yjsbq3mS3-dIx4XP5_CgEMgmrsVgMmZxR1Pp-pTsmf4zwr-GT-7d-5lF-ei1nHYVI3ceVGwzyNPxXu3RAfHw47ov8N6bl-9FEdfb5Bf9HB7Q4Gfh6xmcL5fl3Auqs/s320/IMG_20190120_163950982.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
In my summer staff days, back at college after summer, I made a point to coordinate gatherings with other camp staffers on campus every month or so. It was different, but there were ways it was like being back at camp together. Quarantine is so new and strange to many of us. But, there are ways to stay connected with our communities. For people who need it most, it’s crucial to schedule times for friends to meet on social media, to follow live events friends put on, to schedule social distance parades where people drive by houses to say hello. It can start with just making a simple phone call to someone you know and trust. <br />
<br />
<b>Embrace Solitude</b><br />
Solitude often gets used with a negative connotation, but it can be a source of renewal too. As sad as it is for camp to end, I often feel a great sense of peace from the quiet. I sink into slower, more intentional rhythms and observe a nature more comfortable with itself and me. When I remind myself that solitude can offer peace and reflection, I find myself engaged in interesting activities that are good for my mind, body, and spirit. <br />
<br />
Solitude can be a time where the voices in our head get free reign to say all they want with no interruption. This can be dangerous for some of us. I propose entering into that solitude with the <br />
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intention of curiosity, exploring the world in front of you. Ask the world questions, and let it speak to you. Give your own voices a rest. They’ve been working hard. It’s time to listen to something outside of us. <br />
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<b>Don’t Be Afraid to Share Your Vulnerability</b><br />
After an incredible camp experience, everyone goes their separate ways into sometimes very different realities. For those with not so good realities, it can be difficult to reach out and be honest about things not going so well. In a time where we only share the good stuff on social media, it’s easy for all of us to have the wrong impressions of how it’s really going. We may feel like a burden or a buzzkill for all the people taking a camp high out into the real world. <br />
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I’m sure during this time of isolation it can be equally hard to reach out. We know everyone is going through some sort of personalized difficulty. No one wants to feel like a burden. No one wants to add one more thing to their plate. It’s hard to talk about these difficulties. But, sometimes being able to share that vulnerability with a trusted friend turns out to be what both people needed in that new world they’ve entered. <br />
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<b>Translate the Goodness of What You’re Leaving to Where You’re Going</b><br />
We become special versions of ourselves in the right environment. One reason I’ve stuck with camp so long is that I often feel like the best version of myself when I do camp work. At the end of the summer, I see many people go out into the world and feel a bit like a rudderless ship. Without the camp atmosphere they are unable to completely access that person they were there. <br />
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It doesn’t mean that person only existed in that one place. There’s just some translating that has to happen from one world to the next. Upon returning to college from camp, I noticed I was more outgoing and welcoming. It was not the same as camp, but I started to see similarities and ways I could plug in. I did this, because I didn’t want to lose that feeling. The challenge was that camp was <br />
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set up with the intention of empowering me to be outgoing. College was not. It needed a little extra from me to get that. Once I saw it, though, I was able to find those parts of myself I originally thought only existed at camp. It gave me renewed confidence in a new place and it had positive repercussions for my new environment.<br />
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<b>Activity/Rest</b><br />
Every summer I was at camp, I was in great physical shape. I didn’t have to do anything extra, because camp kept my body plenty busy. My body needed rest by the end of the summer, but only for a short time. Pretty soon, I needed to find ways in my new world to be active. <br />
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Whatever lifestyle we were living before isolation, it likely structured in more movement than sitting at home does. I think it’s good to catch up on rest in that early time, but we have to think of new ways to move. When I’m active I feel more alive--it’s like a natural high. I find my emotions and body reflect each other. If one is down, it’s easy for the other to be. If one is up, the other follows behind (even if reluctantly). <br />
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<b>Remember this...</b><br />
The same way the summer was temporary, times of transition are also ever changing. Summers will come again, and even those who don’t come back to summer camp like they did last year will have the chance to use their experience for something new. The time of change is a hard time to figure out. Each day holds more discoveries, and it’s always been helpful to me to find childlike wonder in those new things, even if they are scary (isn’t that what we want our campers to do?). <br />
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<b>If You Know Someone…</b><br />
I think we are all learning during this time how important it is to reach out and be reached out to. If you know someone who has had struggles in their life, if you know someone who was really thriving in the life they were living pre-quarantine, if you know someone who has particular struggles with transitions, reach out. Here are a few suggestions:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Request some time to talk or video chat</li>
<li>Send them a picture of the two of you </li>
<li>Recount an epic experience you shared </li>
<li>Remind them of something incredible you’ve seen them do </li>
</ul>
Look for ways to share the goodness you’ve had before as you wade through this new reality. Maybe even make some kind of new goodness. Let’s take care of each other in this new time. It’s yet another thing we should know from our time at camp. Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-67021460274932420912020-05-07T11:21:00.002-07:002020-05-07T12:38:55.588-07:00A Big Chorus Around the Campfire: A Note of GratitudeIn enjoy singing for the benefits a lot of people enjoy with it. It gives me energy, makes me feel deep emotions, it can be a lot of fun. I'm a decent singer, not a great one. I can mostly stay on key, occasionally harmonize well, and I can belt it out when I'm feeling it. But, anytime I sing alone in front of people, there will be some nerves. I will be very conscious of every note and feel the sweats come in if I don't hit them all correctly. Overthinking singing in this way often causes me not to sing as well. It's challenging. I will still do it. Sometimes it is still fun and even moving, but it takes some nerve to do it. <div><br /></div><div>Then there are the times I'm with a big group of people singing, especially when we are feeling it. Have you been part of those times when everyone is so into the song you are singing that everyone is singing loudly at their varying levels of skill, and you can't hear any one person, not even yourself? You are no longer a collection of voices--something blends and you become one voice. Sing at the top of your lungs--you won't hear you, you'll hear us. And, within that you can be free to miss a note or get a word wrong. Your imperfections are covered by the energy of all of you together. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last Tuesday (May 5) Oregon-Idaho Camp and Retreat Ministries participated in Giving Tuesday, a day designated for non-profits to lift up their needs and find support for the much-needed fundraising efforts brought on during the pandemic. Our six camps teamed up to raise funds to keep our sites running in this time where income has mostly dried up. A rough estimate for monthly utilities system-wide was $15,000. We decided a goal of $10,000 seemed bold and would get us most of the way there. We named the campaign: Keep the Fire Burning. </div><div><br /></div><div>We put out a call to people to help spread the word. Nearly 40 people answered the call. We saw wonderfully creative posts from all our camps from head shavings to beginner yoga to heartfelt devotions, and everything in between. On Tuesday we steadily saw our numbers grow. By the end of the work day, I left the Camp Magruder office about $1,000 shy of our goal. Before we finished dinner we had reached our goal. And the numbers kept climbing. As of Thursday, the numbers keep climbing. </div><div><br /></div><div>My heart has been touched by all the messages of love and support that accompany the donations. So many friends and families poured out their love and money that I'm sure is in short supply these days. Somewhere around 170 different people donated. As I write this post online giving sits at $13,725. We are close to covering that estimated utility cost. It is incredible. </div><div><br /></div><div>In this time of great uncertainty, this time of anxiety and worry. This time where some days it feels like we have the world to carry on our shoulders alone. When it feels like we are being shoved out onto a stage in a crowded theater to perform an opera on our own, Giving Tuesday gave me this feeling of many of us standing together, blowing the doors off with our voices together. This is going to be a hard time for our camps. But this feeling that many of us are doing the work together makes it feel like we can weather it. Thank you all who are part of this. Thank you for being part of this large, beautiful chorus. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you would still like to donate, the campaign will be live until the end of May. <a href="http://fnd.us/41elS6?ref=sh_88csnd" target="_blank">Just click here:</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-42080454513941794682020-04-29T08:10:00.000-07:002020-04-29T08:10:48.414-07:00Camp Magruder Postpones 75th Anniversary Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Camp Magruder 75th Anniversary planning team has decided to postpone the event until 2021 due to the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the summer of 2020. We are disappointed we will not be celebrating 75 years of camp memories this July, but we want this event to be well attended and safe for all who participate. Our hope for the event is a large group gathering where many who live far from the Oregon Coast can travel there. Our planning team concluded it will be too challenging to plan and put on an event worthy of the milestone it is celebrating by the summer. <br /><br />We are still excited to plan this celebration even if it is a year later. This will give the planning team <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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even more time to gather stories and memorabilia, contact impactful Magruder alums, and envision activities that stoke everyone’s deepest nostalgia. The Planning Team intends to set a 2021 date soon, and registration will follow the new date announcement. If you would like to contribute in some way to the event, contact <a href="mailto:troy@campmagruder.org">troy@campmagruder.org</a>. We are already getting excited about celebrating the <strike>75th</strike> 76th Anniversary with you. Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-2703704417461121582020-03-11T15:21:00.005-07:002021-04-07T11:45:13.285-07:00Camp Magruder's latest update (updated 4/7/21)<div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update 4/7/21</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div>Camp Magruder is inching closer to reopening, and we continue to get a clearer picture of what it will be, though it is moving slowly. The State of Oregon recently announced overnight youth camps will be permitted this summer. We expect state guidelines to be announced before May 1. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QgL3o_touXtN7TfHzQMW8zxdbk2kFEQeaXkE5YyRJkpYwuNDhC0lfQDjC8kdaqMZVjsL50PrqpGsOCAJ0iktynUIP8j_AKgKQh_dKpPSYVfAAQ8cAbrm6AinjXHYJUQhHAOPBVSPTFY/s4032/PXL_20210402_024106268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QgL3o_touXtN7TfHzQMW8zxdbk2kFEQeaXkE5YyRJkpYwuNDhC0lfQDjC8kdaqMZVjsL50PrqpGsOCAJ0iktynUIP8j_AKgKQh_dKpPSYVfAAQ8cAbrm6AinjXHYJUQhHAOPBVSPTFY/s320/PXL_20210402_024106268.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When we receive the guidelines, we will propose a suggested protocol and terms and conditions for Magruder family & youth camps along with summer retreat groups. Once we have coordinated with the cabinet of the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church, we will be ready to announce our camp schedule and finalize plans with other retreat groups. </div><div><br /></div><div>We know this process has made planning difficult--it has been challenging for us too. We are committed, though, to doing summer 2021 responsibly, taking the most current studies and recommendations into consideration as guests return to our site. </div><div><br /></div><div>July 1 continues to be the target date to begin hosting larger retreat groups. We are taking reservations for groups from that date forward and guaranteeing looser terms on deposits and cancellations. Please contact us with more questions. Dates are still available. </div><div><br /></div><div>We do plan to hire a summer staff for 2021, so please contact hope@campmagruder.org for more information. We expect it to be a challenging but special summer for the incredible people we'll work with this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Camp Magruder will continue to host single family and pastoral respites or volunteer groups less than 10 with people and organizations we already have a relationship over the next few months. If you have a stable pod that would like to spend some time at camp and give back through a volunteer project, contact troy@campmagruder.org. </div><div><br /></div><div>Director Troy Taylor and Reservations Coordinator Leslie Carter are back to full time work in the office, so response times are much faster these days. We have our work cut our for us, but having more days to put towards this work we love has been energizing. Nearly everyone on the full time Magruder staff has already been scheduled for vaccination, and we look forward to our first maskless staff meeting. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are continually blown away by the support that sustains this place from so many different directions. We know 2021 will be challenging for us and many others. Despite that, we do not feel alone. We feel deep gratitude for everyone who has given donations, prayers, service, social media shares, and overall positive vibes. We invite you to be part of supporting the reemergence of this meaningful camp community in the coming months however you can. </div><div><br /></div><div>Be well until next time. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Update 1/29/21</div><div>It feels like Camp Magruder has been in hibernation for a while, weathering the pandemic storm, but we are excited to share some new information. There seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel, though we are still not sure how far the tunnel reaches. We are at least, making plans and ready to share. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbVoOd-irQPv4fl0Ph6_CdU0jKCrSvkKOJbVjOgMtqLZys_PmRD14JEAeKfgQIuxB5yJ_4QoqHY8jvuptVMfYB696rqnFbPMvlsYfN1aD26ioBRHyZq6jCe9sCO6mE4mAOCFHFjqFY4k/s4032/PXL_20210120_011551941.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbVoOd-irQPv4fl0Ph6_CdU0jKCrSvkKOJbVjOgMtqLZys_PmRD14JEAeKfgQIuxB5yJ_4QoqHY8jvuptVMfYB696rqnFbPMvlsYfN1aD26ioBRHyZq6jCe9sCO6mE4mAOCFHFjqFY4k/s320/PXL_20210120_011551941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>Camp Magruder will continue to exclusively host single family and pastoral respites or volunteer groups less than 10 with people and organizations we already have a relationship through at least the Spring. We are also exploring possibilities within our county to serve as temporary housing for victims of Covid-19 as they recover. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have set a tentative return date for larger retreat groups at July 1 of this year. With the new normal of uncertainty we live in, this date is dependent on many other factors working in our favor between now and then. We are currently taking reservations for groups from July 1 forward and guaranteeing looser terms on deposits and cancellations. Please contact us with more questions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many of our staff have returned to limited work, thanks in large part to several grants. Camp Director Troy, Bookkeeper Angie, and Reservations Coordinator Leslie are all working about one day a week. As you might expect our response time is slower than normal. Our Maintenance Staff Rik and Kevin are working at half time. Thanks to an innovative ministries grant, Program Director Hope is working at half time producing Magruder content, so look for increased interaction on our web presences. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our Executive Chef Peter is working limited hours as we continue our Community Table program, feeding hungry families in the community weekly. We will also continue to prepare lunches for students during holidays and breaks. We are already planning with our partner organizations for Spring Break. </div><div><br /></div><div>The last year has been a tough climb for Camp Magruder and our sister camps. Supporters from many places have stepped up and been part of sustaining our sites. We still aren't certain what the near future holds, but we are much more confident we will emerge stronger as the pandemic wanes. If you would like to continue to invest in the great work camps will do as we all recover, visit our donate page <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a> and share our story on social media. </div><div><br /></div><div>We can't wait to see you again. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><b>Update 6/26/20</b><br />
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Camp Magruder will not be hosting retreat groups and youth camps in July and August, in collaboration with our governing body, The Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries, and our sister camps. In the coming weeks, we will make a decision regarding September and October.<br />
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We've had lots of inquiries about small family groups using the Guest House and other facilities. While the State of Oregon is currently allowing Family and Adult Retreats with thorough social distancing and disinfecting protocol, our region within the United Methodist Church has not yet entered a phase allowing those types of gatherings. We will continue to update as the situation evolves.<br />
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Due to the enormous loss of revenue our entire camping system is experiencing, most Camp Magruder staff will be furloughed, effective July 1 indefinitely. Director Troy Taylor will keep limited hours for essential administrative tasks, but the camp office will generally be closed until regular operations resume or new funding becomes available. Expect slow responses to email and voicemails.<br />
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Camp Maintenance Staff will continue to support the camp at reduced hours, thanks to a maintenance grant, and kitchen staff will also operate at reduced hours, continuing our meal program feeding the food insecure of our county, also thanks to grant money.<br />
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The coming months will be a daunting uphill climb for Camp Magruder and it's sister UM camps in Oregon-Idaho. Please keep our camps in your thoughts and prayers, and bring attention to the challenges we are facing. We anticipate the need for large-scale fundraising in the next 6 months to cover our costs. If you want to be part of that effort, visit the donate page at <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a>, share our posts on social media to get the word out, or contact us directly to find out other ways to help.<br />
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Continue to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog. We anticipated this shut-down and created a great deal of online content in advance to continue to try to be a light in these dark times. We love you and look forward to the next time we are in the same room.<br />
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<b>Update 6/3</b><br />
On May 27 Camp Magruder announced the cancellation of Program Camps and Retreat Reservations<br />
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through the end of August. We came to this decision in collaboration with Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries of the Oregon-Idaho Conference for the United Methodist Church, of whom we are a member. From here on, we will evaluate cancellations on a rolling two month schedule, next evaluating September/October, then later November/December.<br />
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Camp Magruder is considering the possibility of hosting guests in the Guest House and possibly small family groups in our lodging in the months to come. First we must receive clearance from local, state, and church entities to host guests again, and we have not yet entered all the phases necessary for that consideration.<br />
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Camp staff continues work thanks to a stimulus loan through the CARE Act. During this time without retreat guests, we are developing programs to reach out to local community members in need. Our kitchen staff is now preparing meals with donated food that goes out to the food insecure of Tillamook County. Funding is in the works to keep the kitchen staff making those meals for months after the stimulus runs out. We are developing other outreach programs, creating virtual content, and maintaining camp facilities.<br />
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Stimulus money will run out at the end of June unless extended by Congress, and this will likely leave most of camp staff functioning on far fewer hours, if not fully laid off. If Camp Magruder is unable to host groups for the rest of the year, we stands to lose 85% of projected income for 2020. The good news is that every 2020 group who cancelled has rebooked for 2021. Camp just needs to weather this storm. Go to <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a> to support the efforts of our staff to keep Camp Magruder sustained and doing good in the world during these difficult times.<br />
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Continue to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog. We will keep reaching out to the Camp Magruder circle to help create community during these isolated times. We love you and look forward to the next time we are in the same room.<br />
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<b>Update 5/4</b><br />
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Camp Magruder continues to adhere to current state stay-in-shelter announcements, and will not be hosting groups until they have been lifted at the earliest. The camp continues to work with groups who are booked in the coming months to work through alternate plans. We are also brainstorming protocols for social distancing and cautious retreat activity should we begin welcoming groups again.<br />
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Summer Camp session at Camp Magruder have not been canceled as we await state recommendations and developments across the country. We will not be hosting our Memorial Day Family Camp, but are still considering the possibilities of hosting later scheduled camps and retreats in the summer. We will make announcements as the situation evolves.<br />
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Thanks to a small business stimulus loan, Camp Magruder's staff has returned to work at 3/4 time. We are working to maintain the camp and make many contingency plans to best be ready for whatever lies in the future. The loan will last until mid-June.<br />
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If you want to stand with Camp Magruder during these challenging times, visit our donation page <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a> to contribute. The fact that you want to support<br />
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means as much as the dollar amount. Our Giving Tuesday campaign Keep the Fires Burning seeks to raise money to cover utilities for all Oregon-Idaho UM sites for around a month. The page will be active throughout May at http://fnd.us/41elS6?ref=sh_88csnd.<br />
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Continue to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog. We will keep reaching out to the Camp Magruder circle to help create community during these isolated times. We love you and look forward to the next time we are in the same room.<br />
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<b>Update 4/13</b><br />
Camp Magruder continues to adhere to current state stay-in-shelter announcements, and will not be hosting groups until they have been lifted at the earliest. The camp continues to work with groups who are booked in the coming months to work through alternate plans.<br />
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As of Monday, most of the Camp Magruder staff has been furloughed to deal with the loss of income we are experiencing through group cancellations. Please expect correspondences to take longer than normal until we are able to bring employees back on.<br />
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Camp Magruder is still making plans for the summer season with a variety of contingency plans to account for the uncertain future. We will make announcements as the situation evolves.<br />
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If you want to stand with Camp Magruder during these challenging times, visit our donation page <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a> to contribute. The fact that you want to support <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCy5XK5Gb05GwKyFercli76Z4-JLPL7gvDhVb7SDar-sP6zQVh1YNwybTlnEPrJgYITzmYMg7RjQrPCDVyAGmAAQoqxPkhCrwctWeImDmiSHHEhGOtrKYQOs1EBAoEbUYEsHMm-3eXak/s1600/IMG_20200401_175152763_HDR.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCy5XK5Gb05GwKyFercli76Z4-JLPL7gvDhVb7SDar-sP6zQVh1YNwybTlnEPrJgYITzmYMg7RjQrPCDVyAGmAAQoqxPkhCrwctWeImDmiSHHEhGOtrKYQOs1EBAoEbUYEsHMm-3eXak/s320/IMG_20200401_175152763_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
means as much as the dollar amount.<br />
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Continue to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog. We will keep reaching out to the Camp Magruder circle to help create community during these isolated times. We love you and look forward to the next time we are in the same room.<br />
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<b>Update 3/23</b><br />
In accordance with Oregon state mandates, Camp Magruder will not be hosting guest groups until the first week of May at the earliest. We will continue to update our plans as we know more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity8RJx5Tpfu-z1SNoH4S3HmcH9BSVyl2ak8BvVH6S0QkTeeLATnxMhIpVZg1_qLVrLm7F8GY6bTms0iewWPhXG-x90KC2zYVgF60GIMKf5FwQo5n_I9xx1cnqV6JhVp8fNJ9M9UEKosU/s1600/IMG_20200116_163106634_HDR.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity8RJx5Tpfu-z1SNoH4S3HmcH9BSVyl2ak8BvVH6S0QkTeeLATnxMhIpVZg1_qLVrLm7F8GY6bTms0iewWPhXG-x90KC2zYVgF60GIMKf5FwQo5n_I9xx1cnqV6JhVp8fNJ9M9UEKosU/s320/IMG_20200116_163106634_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a>Our Counselor/Dean/Nurse Training for Summer leaders in Oregon-Idaho Conference Camping the weekend of April 17-19 will therefore not happen in person, but we are exploring plans to do the training remotely. Check in with Camp Magruder social media to stay current on that retreat's status in the coming weeks.<br />
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In the meantime, Camp Magruder is exploring ways to translate our skills and resources towards assisting exhausted community leaders and professionals as this difficult time becomes more difficult. We intend to temporarily reinvent ourselves to best serve the greatest needs in front of us. It is our hope we can make a difference, find purpose, and keep our camp doing the work of its mission as so many places are shutting down.<br />
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Please keep us in your prayers, as we tread out into these unfamiliar waters. If you are looking for places to support and bolster during the pandemic, you can be part of keeping this place in operation, providing means to continue to pursue ways to change lives. Go to <a href="http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html">http://www.campmagruder.org/donate.html</a> to be part of our ambitious journey to be light for this darkness.<br />
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As of now, summer camp season is also still scheduled, and we continue to accept registrations, recruit summer staff, and prepare for times of spiritual growth. As with every plan these days, we hold the same uncertainty about the near future everyone else does, and we are working on contingency plans if social isolation is still the recommendation at that time.<br />
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We continue to work with all guests and groups to resolve losses for time booked at Camp Magruder <br />
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related to coronavirus. We encourage parents, campers, and retreat leaders not to let concerns over lost deposits keep you from tentatively planning to be at camp. We recognize we are in extraordinary times and plan to act with the compassion these times require.<br />
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Look for more posts reaching out, seeking to offer a retreat space within everyone's isolation bubble. We wish to inspire, make you laugh, give you some hope. Watch our Facebook & Instagram feeds as well as this blog.<br />
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May we find peace even bigger than these big times.<br />
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Please reach out if you’d like to talk to me: Troy Taylor 503-355-2310, <a href="mailto:troy@campmagruder.org">troy@campmagruder.org</a>.<br />
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Troy Taylor<br />
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<b>Update 3/17/20</b><br />
As state and national recommendations for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have emphasized stronger measures towards isolation and social distancing, Camp Magruder is working with our groups to reschedule events that have or may be impacted by the coronavirus this spring.<br />
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In accordance with state recommendations and the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church, Camp Magruder is not hosting guest groups until Easter (April 12) at the earliest. We say this with full understanding of how quickly this situation is changing, and we will also continue to update our plans as we know more.<br />
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We currently still plan to host our Counselor/Dean/Nurse Training for Summer leaders in Oregon-Idaho Conference Camping the weekend of April 17-19. Check in with Camp Magruder social media to stay current on that retreat's status in the coming weeks.<br />
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As of now, summer camp season is also still scheduled, and we continue to accept registrations, recruit summer staff, and prepare for times of spiritual growth. As with every plan these days, we hold the same uncertainty about the near future everyone else does.<br />
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Know we will work with all guests and groups to resolve losses associated with time booked at Camp Magruder related to coronavirus. We encourage parents, campers, and retreat leaders not to let concerns over lost deposits keep you from tentatively planning to be at camp. We recognize we are in extraordinary times and plan to act with the compassion these times require.<br />
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In addition, we hope to be an outpost in this time of social isolation for you to feel some connection <br />
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and experience something sacred. Look for future posts reaching out, seeking to offer a retreat space within everyone's isolation bubble. We wish to inspire, make you laugh, give you some hope. Watch our Facebook & Instagram feeds as well as this blog.<br />
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May we find peace from something bigger in these big times.<br />
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Please reach out if you’d like to talk to me: Troy Taylor 503-355-2310, <a href="mailto:troy@campmagruder.org">troy@campmagruder.org</a>.<br />
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Troy Taylor<br />
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Camp Magruder Site Director</div>
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<b>Original Post 3/11/20</b><br />
As news continues to evolve on the spread of the COVID-19 virus, commonly referred to as Coronavirus, Camp Magruder is staying up to date on recommendations by public health officials. We realize the concern many people are experiencing and it’s our intention to respond with care and hospitality as we always seek to do. <br />
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We already regularly follow recommended steps to prevent virus spread as standard practice. In addition, we are giving extra attention and frequency to these procedures. All staff are washing hands more frequently. Kitchen staff disinfects dining hall tables and chairs after each meal. Housekeeping staff disinfects all rooms after cleaning them. We are also closely monitoring our own health as a staff. <br />
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We understand the hesitancy many people are struggling with to go to public places and travel, especially those who are or are close to vulnerable populations. Please contact our staff if you have questions--we want to help you make the right decision for yourself. <br />
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Should health officials recommend closure of public places in our region, we plan to comply with <br />
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those recommendations, and we’ll make arrangements with all our groups. Until then, Camp Magruder currently plans to continue our mission of providing sacred spaces of Christian hospitality and learning, because we feel we are a relatively low risk facility. The number of people passing through is far fewer than a typical grocery store. Plus any camp guests will have already interacted with a significant number of the people they share space in some other space, generally speaking. <br />
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Our staff is consistently monitoring developments on the global, national, state, and local scale. We will continue to update this message as the situation evolves. Please reach out if you’d like to talk to me: Troy Taylor 503-355-2310, <a href="mailto:troy@campmagruder.org">troy@campmagruder.org</a>. <br />
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Troy Taylor<br />
Camp Magruder Site Director<br />
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Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-88129799766634965392020-02-21T16:20:00.000-08:002020-02-24T12:52:25.067-08:00Why Christianity is Unappealing in the 21st Century<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The percentage of the population that claims Christianity has been declining for years (see more info <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/">here</a>.) I am not going to pretend I know all the answers to this rather huge subject matter, but I definitely have a vested interest in this question- what is so unappealing about claiming a religious identity, specifically Christianity, in the 21st century? <br /><br />At Magruder, I oversee the summer staff, some of whom consider themselves Christian, some who very adamantly do not. I have spent many late nights, threatening on early mornings, with summer staffers grappling with their faith. I’m glad to say that at Magruder, we offer a space where people of any spirituality can feel comfortable and where they can serve together with the understanding that meaning-making and big questions-- that’s a part of the job here, that’s a part of the work we do together. So, given what I’ve learned from those perspectives, here’s my take on what’s so unappealing for people right now:</span><br />
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<br /><br /><b>The myth that politics should be left out of religious beliefs.</b><br /><br />I think this is a belief that I found more in the South than here in the Pacific Northwest, but I also see people from far and wide posting something along these lines on social media regularly: “Don’t mix the two; it offends less people.” And I understand the impulse-- it’s discouraging to live in a time with so much polarization, but we cannot separate our guiding principle (our religious beliefs or ideologies) from the system that structures society (our politics). Here in the PNW, I usually find that people are more comfortable talking about politics than they are religion, but if we cannot articulate how one informs the other, we lose the ability to model how our faith informs a meaningful life.<br /><br />When politics are<i> not </i>critically considered in a religious environment, we are not doing the deep work of integrating our theology into our actual lives. Politics are an important way that we put faith into practice. How do we mean what we say without applying our beliefs? Religious beliefs, our ideology, need to be the lens through which we understand politics and policies. When our religious beliefs are left out of our politics, we forget things like, “the first shall be last,” (Matthew 20:16) and who Jesus was most interested in spending time with (tax collectors, thieves, sex workers, sinners). <br /><br />The truth is our everyday lives may not have us brushing elbows with “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40), but our politics can. The young people on staff that really feel burned by faith are likely the same ones that haven’t seen the way faith can be an organizing force in the change they hope to see in the world. Our beliefs can’t just be for “peace,” without also being for active peacemaking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>The outside world puts a lot of weight and often negative judgement on the label “Christian.”</b><br /><br />When someone reveals they’re religious<i>-- I have that impulse, too--</i> I am almost immediately suspicious. And I hate to admit that! I immediately start trying to figure out what that means for the person because of the uncomfortable situations I’ve been put into before because of someone else’s faith. I know that if I have that reaction, with all the information I have about diverse spiritual and religious beliefs, that that knee jerk reaction is even harder for others to kick.<br /><br />So, why is that? It’s all those things we already know. It’s the news stories that report Christians are more judgmental (like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/08/03/christians-are-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-blame-a-persons-poverty-on-lack-of-effort/">this</a>). It’s the beliefs that we hold that do not reflect the love of Jesus, those icky hypocritical beliefs that go unchecked. For Gen Z, it’s the Instagram bio with a Bible verse by the person at school who bullies them. That last bit-- that’s straight from a camper’s mouth. For a lot of young people, one unappealing part of claiming Christianity is because of its association with rightwing groups that use it to spew hate and violence.<br /><br />Until we are radically confronting those assumptions with a love that offers solutions and change, we can’t expect that perception to be different. It’s our actions that are communicating who or what we believe God is, after all. <br /><br /><b>There’s an insider/outsider dynamic.</b><br /><br />This one is a no brainer, but still I continue to hear about it. And you know who else can be the worst about creating insider/outsider environments? Camp people. Seriously, how many people do you know that have “camp friends,” who are SO cool and funny and awesome, but also who you can’t fit a word in edgewise to the inside jokes or memories? Guilty. <br /><br />It’s a hard balance, to create a community that is close and deep AND inviting to others. But I know so many people who’ve felt turned off by the whole shebang because of the awkwardness or closed-offness they’ve felt trying to break into Christian communities. <br /><br />If there’s one thing my work at Magruder has taught me it’s that “Christian hospitality,” a foundation of our mission here, means to actively include people, affirm their identity, and make space for them at the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>Christianity’s concerns are irrelevant to the needs of my life.</b><br /><br />I hear this from a lot of young people who are moving away from their home religion. When church goes from youth group-- fun, mission trips, and pizza, and hopefully, also meaning and guided reflection-- to sermons that we must learn to translate to our real lives, we lose the element of community and mysticism. Then we’ve lost the thing that makes church essential. When time is such a commodity to people, the traditional model of a Sunday morning sermon may be a format worth inspecting. <br /><br />The main thing I get the sense of when I talk to young people is that to make the label, “Christian,” worth it, it has to actually mean something. It has to go deep. It has to hold meaning and ask and seek to answer big questions. Not just “what is God?”, but also “how do I grapple with depression?” and “how do I learn to value myself?” <br /><br />We’re currently in this wave where our Google searches range from “directions to nearest gas station” to “how do I prioritize self care?” There’s this whole industry blowing up right now trying to help people answer that last question. And I’m left just feeling like, if our spirituality isn’t giving us the tools to grapple with this, what is it doing? People are longing for tools to help them cope with their daily lives, and if Christianity only begins to answer those questions after they’re already a fad, doesn’t that just point towards the irrelevance that people are talking about? Our faith should be giving us a framework for meaning making. <br /><br />If faith doesn’t speak to your experience-- that’s a problem.<br /><br /><b>Christianity just isn’t my language.</b><br /><br />Right now, with more information than ever at our fingertips, if we aren’t connecting with what’s right in front of us, the Bible, let’s say, there are other options. And I think when we find another option that’s meaningful, that’s awesome. The Bible isn’t the only path towards something sacred. I think my own doubt has led me towards the questions that have best shaped me. <br /><br />I’ve also found the more I’m engaged with interreligious dialogue, the more I learn about my own traditions and the more I learn from others. Interreligious dialogue can help us to deeply inspect our own beliefs and to know if the tradition we claim is the one that best helps us understand the world and transform it. It can also continue to give us framework and tools to use to cope with life.<br /><br />Still, I worry about what we find when we are vulnerable or misguided or susceptible to selfishness. What fads or well-worded but shallow belief systems are out there now that better (or more quickly) meet the immediate needs of people seeking justice, solace, or meaning? Until we understand that, we aren’t understanding the essential language, <i>and ultimately the essential questions and truths</i>, that are leaving people searching for more. <br /><br /><b>So where does that leave us?</b><br /><br />We, the world, are changing right now, and people are scared and frustrated by a lot of things that are happening. My hope is we let that fuel us towards hard questions and we bring people in on those questions and the ways we seek to answer them. To combat the image of Christianity that currently stands tarnished at the forefront, there’s some real trust building that we must do with the general culture. <br /><br />I would love to see a Sunday morning where two or so clergy (or lay people!!) close read a text and discuss it together; modelling how to both agree with and challenge each other. Here’s a podcast I listen to each week that models a format I think would be a lovely example of that (and allows you to nerd out on Harry Potter at the same time): <a href="https://www.harrypottersacredtext.com/">https://www.harrypottersacredtext.com/</a> (I really enjoyed </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">their most recent episode on Persistence, Book 6, Chapter 26, if you’re looking for an arbitrary place to start). I would love to see our spiritual lives prioritizing action and service, a faith that’s largely outside the walls of the church. Finally, something that I haven’t talked about much here, is that it is still very valuable to find practices that allow us to interact with the mystical, and if those aren’t ever changing, they’re likely falling behind.<br /><br />I’m hopeful about the future, knowing what I know about the young people I spend the summers with. And I’m hopeful that our faith-- whatever that looks like, whatever we call it-- can guide us the whole way. </span></div>
Camp Magruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00869380255172360003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-21163974761347314072020-01-28T15:44:00.001-08:002020-01-28T15:44:21.563-08:00Top 20 Ways to Find Peace at Camp Magruder<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Whether your planning your 1st trip to Camp Magruder or your 101st, there are always new ways to discover peace on your time away from the routine. We’ve listed our highest rated ways to get there, whether you’re a summer camper, retreat guest, outdoor schooler, or volunteer. Start planning now. Even the thought of some of these will give you peace. Look for more top 20 lists in 2020. </span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-T2PiKqH9EVfCV8vy9CDJTwhY1zJt8BzR9KVnzNnkFY3RDAdAlU7IxJt6EwukwynzsL881kXuv1W4aj_k1JPsHjGY_gFRPgjaS5_mfGJWtVGzTBM2rWxqaYuQjuC2LqEO2qWWkb6Mg/s1600/19222710_1138941602873322_1247814198049690538_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-T2PiKqH9EVfCV8vy9CDJTwhY1zJt8BzR9KVnzNnkFY3RDAdAlU7IxJt6EwukwynzsL881kXuv1W4aj_k1JPsHjGY_gFRPgjaS5_mfGJWtVGzTBM2rWxqaYuQjuC2LqEO2qWWkb6Mg/s200/19222710_1138941602873322_1247814198049690538_o.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>20. Smell the herbs in the garden:</b> On the east side of the Dining Hall you can treat your nose to all sorts of relaxing scents like mint, rosemary, basil, and much more. Take a little taste if you like, just be sure to leave enough for the kitchen. <br />
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<b>19. Take a break on the deck behind Sherlock Lodge:</b> A panoramic scene of Smith Lake and tall evergreens unfolds in front of your eyes on the Sherlock Deck. Take a few deep breaths and make watching this scene your #1 priority for the time being. <br />
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<b>18. Watch children play on the playground and in the sandbox (maybe even join them):</b> What’s better than watching children discovering play and adventure, getting sand between their fingers, being reminded of what it was like to be a kid? How about returning to childhood yourself, getting your hands sandy, forgetting about the world outside of this little playground for a moment? <br />
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<b>17. Take a nap just because you can:</b> Time moves slower at camp, and you should too. Lay down somewhere and drift off. You’ll wake up fresher, ready for whatever is next. Added bonus if you find a nice comfy place outside on a sunny, breezy day and fall asleep to the sound of the Pacific. <br />
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<b>16. Make a Pilgrimage to the Big Spruce and put your hands on its ancient bark:</b> Just off the lakeside trail is a stand of old-growth Sitka Spruce, and there is one in particular that’s well worth visiting. This mammoth tree is at least a few hundred years old and stretches high into the sky. Put your hands on it and imagine all it’s seen over the years.<br />
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<b>15. Stay in the campfire circle as the fire burns down and it gets dark: </b>After a round of campfire singing, don’t be so quick to rush back to your cabin. Linger and the let the fire mesmerize you. It will get darker, your eyes will adjust gradually, and you will feel more at home in the night time surroundings.<br />
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<b>14. Listen to the birds early in the morning on the pier at the end of the Wetlands Trail:</b> On a spring or summer day, you will hear a chorus of birds as you emerge onto the pier. The red-winged blackbirds and sparrows will dart around the tall grass, leaving you with a beautiful, relaxing song. <br />
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<b>13. Walk the Labyrinth:</b> Let the winding path of Camp Magruder’s Prayer & Meditation Labyrinth slow down your tendency to want everything immediate and quick. This ancient practice is designed to put you in a place of contemplation, of noticing your surroundings and your thoughts. <br />
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<b>12. Explore the West forest of Shore Pines at Sunset:</b> Around sunset, the woods bordering the <br />
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beach are magical, with golden sunlight filtered through the needles of the Shore Pines. It’ll be fine to get a little lost here for a while--the ocean is never too far away.<br />
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<b>11. Savor the taste of a warm meal from the kitchen:</b> Take a few extra moments to hold the taste of good food in your mouth just after you’ve sat down to the table to eat and feel the gratefulness from eating your fill. Don’t worry if people stare. They know that food’s good too. <br />
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<b>10. Find the bench on the Great Dune:</b> Hike up the highest point on camp property. When you find the bench sit down to catch your breath and to see the incredible view. Watch the ocean waves make their way to the shore, wash out, and start all over again from your little perch among the treetops.<br />
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<b>9. Morning Vespers at the Outdoor Chapel as the sun first peaks over the mountain:</b> Gather with your group at the Outdoor Chapel when there is still a mist on Smith Lake. Sing your songs, listen to an inspirational message, pass the peace. As the sun rises you will feel yourself quickly warmed. Is it just the sunlight or something else working with it?<br />
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<b>8. Take a rowboat to the middle of Smith Lake on a calm day and stop paddling:</b> It is such a serene feeling to stop rowing out in Smith Lake and feel the openness surrounded by water on all sides. You might hear conversations on shore, watch the train pass by, see an eagle looking for food, but all those things feel slightly removed from your own little spot out on the water.<br />
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<b>7. Hear a Song in the Dining Hall:</b> The acoustics in the Camp Magruder dining hall are incredible for hearing choirs. Close your eyes and hear the harmonies resonate off the tall walls, the high ceiling, and the rafters. It is as if a chorus of angels visited to give your group their own private concert. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PP7oXhhAqJV-oy3KI5RQUwRSuTfUHP2st5Kzm5tNxsAqt32P7EwsphAgSQaL1yYW8aJIetXnwBNCpKePIx3foZdfVj9LQbAYJtHBEw41UKmtbGtijNSVQ5qRljgGfdSpql3F6NHUeBQ/s1600/IMG_20190925_114151618_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PP7oXhhAqJV-oy3KI5RQUwRSuTfUHP2st5Kzm5tNxsAqt32P7EwsphAgSQaL1yYW8aJIetXnwBNCpKePIx3foZdfVj9LQbAYJtHBEw41UKmtbGtijNSVQ5qRljgGfdSpql3F6NHUeBQ/s320/IMG_20190925_114151618_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>6. Take a warm drink to the Meditation Patio and do your morning prayers:</b> Camp Magruder’s kitchen staff makes coffee as soon as they get in, and there’s always hot water for tea. Grab your warm drink and steal off to the meditation patio to see the world wake up on Smith Lake and connect with a higher power with the steam rising from your mug. <br />
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<b>5. Stay a little after a meal and have a conversation while everyone is leaving:</b> We often schedule ourselves so rigorously, there is no time even to stretch out a good conversation. Stay a little longer, savoring that food and leaning into a good talk with someone. The KP crew will clean up around you, meanwhile you’ll have a conversation you may not forget for a long time. <br />
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<b>4. Sing with all you’ve got alongside other people singing with all they’ve got: </b>If you feel the spirit moving at campfire, evening vespers, morning watch, or any other place a group breaks out into song, give yourself over to it and sing with all your lungs will let you. You may hear something not just you, not just your neighbors, but something altogether new. To be part of something like that can be life-changing.<br />
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<b>3. Lose yourself in a game on a sunny afternoon:</b> At camp we believe as a culture we don’t take the importance of play seriously enough. Get out there and use your body. Don’t worry if you win, <br />
don’t even worry if you’re good at it. Play puts a blanket over anxiety and wakes up the spirit. <br />
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<b>2. Reconnect with an old friend from camp:</b> You know that feeling when you see your friend get out of the car after it’s been a year and you both take off running to each other and hug and it feels like everything in the world is ok right now? I think that’s all I need to say.<br />
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<b>1. Sit next to the ocean as the tide comes in</b>: Of course any Camp Magruder list isn’t complete without the ocean. Make that short walk down a sandy trail to the Pacific. As you near it the sounds of ocean waves will get louder. You’ll feel the air change. On the beach, the sky will open up to you in panorama and you will feel small, yet still a part of something enormous and extraordinary. Take time to engage all the senses while you’re there. Stay till it gets dark if you can. We think God is speaking somewhere in all of it. Pretty sure I’ve heard it a time or two.<br />
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Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0Camp Magruder - United Methodist, 17450 Old Pacific Hwy, Rockaway Beach, OR 97136, USA45.578877 -123.9498949999999720.0568425 -165.25848899999997 71.1009115 -82.64130099999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-43884129642964171162020-01-24T14:31:00.001-08:002020-01-24T14:34:14.819-08:00New Year, New Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 2020, one of Camp Magruder's goals is to talk to you more. We want to tell more about what is happening at this place. We want you to feel like you are part of what is going on, even if you can't be on the grounds physically. We want to start conversations about life and faith, maybe like the ones you'd have around the table in Carrier Dining Hall or sitting on the beach watching the sunset.<br />
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We've been planning new posts we're excited about that we think will resonate with different generations and different types of guests. We're planning top 20 lists, reflections on self care and lifestyle, conversations about faith in the 21st century, and just some good old "here's what happened at camp this week" posts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohTlCpLAh6PG4vTBTqGd0WfW7tRwCDcxdYYsE7fm1X0mlVgOuvEskHh40g1R4wVgkT2dOxvocJ5TqvXylxgdynIlYEnOE2IzcM8K_tIVlWQ3i_kOukPEjE-3fM4Yd6C5V5gk67eaFtaM/s1600/IMG_20190918_113700243_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohTlCpLAh6PG4vTBTqGd0WfW7tRwCDcxdYYsE7fm1X0mlVgOuvEskHh40g1R4wVgkT2dOxvocJ5TqvXylxgdynIlYEnOE2IzcM8K_tIVlWQ3i_kOukPEjE-3fM4Yd6C5V5gk67eaFtaM/s320/IMG_20190918_113700243_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a>So, keep an eye out for our new look blog. Our first post will drop next week (Spoiler: it's a top 20 list). We want to engage people, so it you like this idea, share it and comment on it. That's how people see stuff. And, give us feedback on what you'd like to hear from Camp Magruder. After all, it's you we want to talk to. Let's make it a conversation.<br />
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You'll be hearing from us soon.Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-74947259823450009182019-12-30T10:43:00.001-08:002019-12-30T10:47:04.947-08:00December Wind Storm Damages Camp Magruder Road Sign<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuV4RoaHg-z1y6W4jJ9f4yr5tmPOyuFJzlOEOMi20fZF6BCA-5eE7fsoxgkZfdFZJaaiwIes13YRNJMx9FqLdOydwYITbBHOS8ic9LQGqAltzvJsas3vTgqoGwLDjhJpaaUyFNja-DyY/s1600/IMG_20191220_115837099.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuV4RoaHg-z1y6W4jJ9f4yr5tmPOyuFJzlOEOMi20fZF6BCA-5eE7fsoxgkZfdFZJaaiwIes13YRNJMx9FqLdOydwYITbBHOS8ic9LQGqAltzvJsas3vTgqoGwLDjhJpaaUyFNja-DyY/s320/IMG_20191220_115837099.jpg" /></a><br />
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Towards the end of the week before Christmas the Oregon Coast got heavy rains and strong winds that culminated in an 18 hour power outage from Rockaway Beach to Garibaldi. <br />
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The most disappointing damage came to the Camp Magruder road sign at Highway 101 and Old Pacific Highway. Winds pulled the sign and its concrete foundation out of the ground and ripped its protective roof off. It is a sad sight to see each time you turn into camp. The sign had just been constructed earlier this Spring. <br />
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Overall Camp Magruder counts itself fortunate there wasn’t greater damage, and of course that everyone is safe. Camp was fortunate to miss large tree falls, and we discovered the walk-in freezer holds its temperature pretty well when the power is down. <br />
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Camp staff is examining the sign’s damage this week to determine how to repair and rebuild. Please reach out if you’d like to help with repair efforts. Our friends at Nehalem Bay UMC raised $200 to help with repairs, and we appreciate their support. We are hopeful our beautiful sign won’t be grounded too long.Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-1841612134457261512019-10-15T16:03:00.000-07:002019-10-15T16:08:23.548-07:00Called to being a Better Guest: Indigenous Peoples Day at Great Spirit UMC<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2cWEkFPLXyB2GqpKsppW8a3ojeOH0YoTgBhmFu_K4PEbPkK6vTbcm-z8HheezSyEKFSqYV4iXJER1RvUr5hOLM_AZdeAwhBp9X6mIUdxsqAkSi0f7Qyu6dQbVpQx2YwN4zCMosTc99jU/s1600/69651887_2074660869301386_8893772827765768192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2cWEkFPLXyB2GqpKsppW8a3ojeOH0YoTgBhmFu_K4PEbPkK6vTbcm-z8HheezSyEKFSqYV4iXJER1RvUr5hOLM_AZdeAwhBp9X6mIUdxsqAkSi0f7Qyu6dQbVpQx2YwN4zCMosTc99jU/s320/69651887_2074660869301386_8893772827765768192_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />On Monday, October 14 the Great Spirit UMC hosted Indigenous Peoples Day in their sanctuary. They celebrated with music, vendors, food, and speakers. I went last year, too, so I was excited to see Mark Charles speak again, to reconnect with friends that spend Huckleberry Family Camp with us, and to see the day’s celebrations expand. Outside the church, native artists made jewelry, prints, clothes, essential oils, and home decorations. As an artist myself, I was really excited and impressed by all that was there. I made it home with a couple of prints from Ines Paulina Ramirez, who you can follow on Instagram at the handle @lapaushi, who represents just a small snippet of the art there.<br />
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<br />This was my fifth summer at Camp Magruder this year. Five felt significant in my mind. The fifth summer I’d known some guests. Half a decade of memories and relationships and traditions. Huckleberry Family Camp certainly has that impact on me. I have memories of saving the huckleberry cobblers from impending doom (read: malfunctioning microwaves and unavailable ovens), campfires with stories from the elders, painting tiles together in the boathouse, giving hints of the best places to harvest huckleberries around camp. So, it was a joy to be at the Great Spirit UMC, the church where most of the participants of Huckleberry Family Camp center, to give and receive hugs and hellos to many familiar, friendly faces. <br /><br />Mark Charles is a brilliant speaker. His expertise on the Doctrine of Discovery outlines its severe impact on American philosophies that caused Manifest Destiny and the justification of stealing native lands. It’s not easy to hear. It’s heavy subject matter that emphasizes the way our country’s outlook has not drastically changed. “We the People” still doesn’t mean everyone, as many of us realize, but Charles outlines, underlines, boldens, and puts at the forefront of our minds. <br /><br />
But the last section of his presentation turns towards hope, especially in regards to what native communities and perspectives have to offer to the crises of this moment in history. Paraphrased, I will retell one parable that Mark Charles told of the relationship between caribou and native people. <br /><br />
Caribou are migrant animals. In spring and early summer, the caribou go north to calf, then south in the winter to stay warm for the rest of the season. No matter the state of the people’s lives-- even if they are starving and without food-- native people always knew better than to hunt and kill the caribou as they go north. If they did, they’d deplete the caribou population, and it wouldn’t be able to replenish-- destroying both the caribou and that tribe’s wellbeing. <br /><br />
Considering environmental concerns, Charles equivicated America as unwise hunters-- currently hunting and decimating the caribou population as they migrate North carrying their offspring.<br /><br />These are the stories that are missing from the conversations we are having. When “we the people” mostly prioritizes white men and economic success, we will continue to be careless and uninformed residents of a land that we never belonged to, depleting it of resources, of its richness, of its vitality. <br /><br />Indigenous People’s Day reminds us that we all are humans-- we all have different roles, some as hosts-- who can teach us and guide us about the land we inhabit-- and some as guests. Mark Charles’s final remarks invited us not to see each other as inferior or superior, but to live gracefully and thoughtfully into the roles we inhabit together. <br /><br />
I am thankful for Charles’ words, his wisdom. I am called to see my role as a guest in this land, at the place I’m in, and to listen. To listen hard, to protect our environment and to value it, and to see the places our country systematically fails native people, black people, and women. May we all be a part of growing together towards something better and more beautiful.<br /><br />- hope<br />Program Director</div>
Camp Magruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00869380255172360003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682811944331237140.post-20824859427072157732019-05-26T17:11:00.001-07:002019-05-26T17:11:13.953-07:00Planning for Summer 2019This will be my fifth summer as the Program Director at Camp Magruder. When Troy and I talk about the summers, we remember the different staffers. We reminisce on all the characters that have served with us, who've made camp fun and special each year. We like to talk about the weather, so we compare each summer's climate to the year we are currently having. We remember summers when the smoke from forest fires filled the skies for the entire season. We talk about summer 2015, which gave us blue sky after blue sky. This Memorial Day Weekend has been a wash. Friday and Saturday were two of the rainiest and coldest days we've seen in a while, but today has been beautiful and tomorrow is supposed to be as well. You'd never guess that yesterday I changed into dry clothes twice. I wonder what this summer will be like.<br />
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I love Memorial Day weekend. I say that, but I say that about every group. I do love family camps though. I think one of my favorite activities is to stand at the side with parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles. We spy on their young ones. We say, "Last year I never would've thought they'd ever wanted to boat!" or "So-and-so is so different from their older brother; it's so cool to see how they both flourish in their own ways" or "It's wild to see them here at camp. I remember coming with my parents when I was their age." <br />
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My mom was a child development agent when I was young; she was always observing and commenting as she watched my friends and me grow older. I find it fascinating, too. One of the most fun things about working at camp over an extended period of time is watching people grow up. First they're young and prone to the occasional tantrum; their parent worries they'll never grow out of it. I watch that same kid a few years later teach a younger kid to make a bracelet or boat alone for the first time. Later, I know I'll see them be counselors, and if I'm lucky, they'll be summer staffers, too. I've known Troy a long time; he watched me through a similar progression. Even though we know the general cycle, we never know what another year will bring. We never know what will take root, what will be lost in time. We, of course, can't predict the unexpected. That's like the weather. What will I remember of these camper in years to come? How will they grow in the future? Then, will we give them the tools they need?<br />
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I hope so.<br />
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I get nervous at this time of the year, too. What will the weather be like? What will the staff be like? What will our <i>guests</i> be like? Can we meet their needs? Can we offer the space and support they need to grow? <br />
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This weekend several ex-staffers (and some who will continue to serve in 2019) showed up to help me. Melia, Andrew, Hope, and Trisha all came in to either plan or to lead activities. This year when I made a call for leadership for Memorial Day Family Camp, we had two people volunteer-- Jessie Connor as chaplain and Jennifer Heine as dean. With all of them here, I feel really taken care of. Jessie reminds me to nap. Jennifer smiles and bustles around taking care of her friends at camp. Melia, Hope, Andrew, and Trisha are endlessly at my side offering to clean this, organize that, or lead this, in addition to the tasks I brought them here for. I'm so thankful.<br />
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That support has settled me; it's centered me. It reminds me of all that it takes to make camp work. Today, instead of feeling overwhelmed, I'm feeling a bit more in awe of it-- the way that people show up, the way so many people's talents form a web of something beautiful. The butterflies in my stomach bring more excitement than worry for the anticipation for what's to come.<br />
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I reminded over and over again all of the preparations it takes to make camp happen. It takes our volunteers coming to get trained every year -- volunteers to live in the cabins with campers, to dean each camp, to lead us in our spiritual practices. It takes our summer staffers, with loud voices and smiling faces, to lead campfire songs. It takes Nick and Peter, our chefs, rethinking our menus to serve as many special diets as we can. It takes our Program Board to guide trainings and to give us vision. It takes you, reading this blog and sharing in our community even when you're not here. It takes me, ready to greet you when you come through the gates to this special place. How could I ever be worried?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQi2fUIR5ANB7mkGDhL0vs6v0ZHbjxO7IZOsHQ28P5s-NBsfXcEGJ56p9dBZ0tWTpr0EEFu92MfQSHBDlFIewyf2dWYlMkgxeSt8jEi5cLTY90bOI9Pnq7sDXnr6f51b7Y0gDSdjefkMs/s1600/40685368_1567216373379174_332961786229686272_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQi2fUIR5ANB7mkGDhL0vs6v0ZHbjxO7IZOsHQ28P5s-NBsfXcEGJ56p9dBZ0tWTpr0EEFu92MfQSHBDlFIewyf2dWYlMkgxeSt8jEi5cLTY90bOI9Pnq7sDXnr6f51b7Y0gDSdjefkMs/s320/40685368_1567216373379174_332961786229686272_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>It's said often, but it's worth saying again: It takes a village. If you're looking for another way to support our community and help us prepare for the summer, Camp Magruder has made an Amazon Wish List for the Summer 2019. It's a range of things, some big, some small, that we need for the summer. Dishwashing gloves for tie dye, wet suits for wave jumping, instruments for campfire and worship, a projector for Sherlock Lodge. We'd love your help in preparing for the summer. Using this link (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1KMI0FHYEY7C4?ref_=wl_share) you can visit our list. We've listed each item's priority level and how many we need for this season. There are items ranging between $10 and $1,000. Any gift is so valuable to us. We hope you'll share this with your family or your Sunday School class or the friends you've attended camp with each year. <br />
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If you are more able to give of your time than your donations-- thank you! We are also on the lookout for van drivers for our Resident Counselors. We need volunteers Friday, June 21 (Magruder to Latgawa), Saturday, June 29 (Latgawa to Magruder), Saturday, July 13 (Magruder to Suttle Lake), and Saturday July 27 (Suttle Lake to Magruder). We, of course, needs counselors! We'd love to have you serve with us (ages 16 and older). We serve youth camps June 15-21, July 6-12, and August 3-9. Contact me at hope@campmagruder.org for more information.<br />
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Then, we hope to see you soon. Camp is just around the corner; register at www.gocamping.org/campsessions.<br />
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I hope to see you this summer. Thank you for being a part of this village that I'm so thankful to call home.<br />
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warmly,<br />
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HopeTroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18046831147851430417noreply@blogger.com0